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[Seattle Kraken]

Down on the Farm – Blake Fiddler brings intriguing tools

“Down on the Farm” is your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. This week we’ll highlight Blake Fiddler’s early-season performance in the WHL before handicapping his chances at playing in the 2026 World Junior Championship. After that, we’ll have notes, video, and data from all corners of the Kraken organization, plus a preview of the schedule ahead, as always.

If you have a Kraken prospect-related question you’d like to see featured in a future column, drop us a note below or on X or BlueSky @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey. Let’s dive in.

Blake Fiddler continues to flash difference-making skill​

Blake Fiddler offers a rare collection of tools. On defense, he flashes an active and skilled stick that can disrupt opponents at the blue line and net front. He engages any offensive player who gets close to the blue paint, often pushing them entirely clear of his goaltender. For goalies, clear eyes and clean feet can’t lose. Fiddler is a big help in this regard.

Offensively, he starts the play with pinpoint breakout passes and finds teammates moving through the neutral zone for clean entries. He also shows the ability to transport the puck with strong speed and puck-protection skill. Once he has speed moving forward, he is a freight train. Junior players are often afraid to challenge him for fear that he will physically defeat the check and have a clear line to the goal. This creates space for him to operate and find his teammates on the rush.

Once established in the offensive zone, he is not content to deaden his feet at the points. He stays in motion, looking for soft spots where he can receive a pass and set up a shot on goal. He usually makes good reads in this part of the ice, vacating the blue line only when a forward is available to cycle up and cover for him. His movement generated several good chances, including a goal and a deflected-in primary assist, in his Nov. 15 game excerpted below.

On the flip side, his skating—particularly his four-way mobility defensively—needs a good deal of work. There are more awkward moments and possession giveaways than there should be, and his processing on breakout passes and other defensive reads can be frustratingly slow at times. It may be that the looser defensive structures at the junior level hurt his ability to anticipate, or he may just need more repetitions. He has the tools to dominate defensively, but he is often a step slow (or out of place entirely) right now.

Fiddler has been a stalwart for Team USA at U18 and U20 precursor tournaments to the World Junior Championship. There is little doubt in my mind that Fiddler is on track to play an important role for Team USA at the 2027 event, when he will be 19 years old. The question is: Does he have a place on Team USA’s blue line this year at 18 years old (a.k.a. an “underager”)?

Over the summer I had Fiddler on the outside looking in. I’m slightly more optimistic about his chances now because his offensive production has ticked up in the WHL. (Fiddler had 33 points in 64 WHL games last season, a .52 point-per-game pace. He’s at 18 points through just 23 games so far this year, a .78 point-per-game pace.) Team USA projects as a sound team, but one that may struggle to score compared with recent years after an exodus of high-end skill. Fiddler’s offensive traits may be too intriguing to leave at home.

Right now, I’d project Fiddler as the No. 7 defenseman for Team USA at the 2026 WJC.

Notes on three more Kraken prospects​

Loke Krantz | F | Linköping HC (SHL)​

Loke Krantz, an 18-year-old, 2025 seventh-round pick, continues to earn SHL playing time. His last three games have been with Linköping HC of the top-level Swedish professional league. On Thursday, Nov. 20, he scored his first SHL goal—a beautiful sequence where he handled the puck into the slot and finished with a pinpoint wrist shot into the top corner.

#SeaKraken prospect Loke Krantz scored his first SHL goal today and it was a beauty. pic.twitter.com/YX9cYTSm3N

— Deep Sea Hockey (@DeepSeaHockey) November 21, 2025

Karl Annborn | D | Västerås IK (HockeyAllsvenskan)​

Fellow Swede and 2025 draft pick Karl Annborn tallied his first goal in the second-tier Swedish professional league this past week as well. It came on a sequence where he carried the puck into the zone, took a wrist shot, collected his own rebound, and knocked it past the goaltender at the net front. It was an impressive offensive sequence from the 18-year-old blueliner.

Julius Miettinen | F | Everett Silvertips (WHL)​

Miettinen missed the Everett Silvertips’ last three WHL games. Everett dropped two of three in that stretch. He is listed as day-to-day with an illness.

Highlights of the Week​

Jake O’Brien returns with another highlight this week, setting up Marek Vanacker on a sweet centering pass around a close defensive challenge.

The hot streak continues for Vanacker#BFD | #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/i9sIiHyLTH

— Brantford Bulldogs (@BulldogsOHL) November 21, 2025

The good news from the Coachella Valley Firebirds’ Saturday, Nov. 15, game against the Bakersfield Condors was that Jagger Firkus had a hat trick. The bad news was that those were the Firebirds’ only goals in a 6-3 loss. Luckily, Firkus kept the scoring going the next day, adding another goal in a 5-2 win over the Abbotsford Canucks.

FIRKUS SCORES! Firebirds take the lead 2-1

Welcome BACK to the Firkus Circus! pic.twitter.com/AgpDcOVn0k

— Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) November 17, 2025

Kraken prospects data update​

Jagger Firkus’s scoring binge contributed to him winning the AHL Player of the Week, announced on Monday, Nov. 17. Four goals in two games is enough to make Firkus your Sound Of Hockey Player of the Week too. That’s two in a row for Firkus. One more and we’ll call it a streak.

Despite being inactive since last Sunday, the 21-year-old Firkus remains tied for the AHL lead in total points. The only other AHL player with 18 points, Brett Seney, is 29 years old and has played three more games than Firkus.

At the other end of the spectrum, spark-plug defensive specialist Zeb Forsfjall still doesn’t have a point yet this season in 19 SHL games.

Visa Vedenpaa turned in perhaps his best Liiga start to date last week, turning away 30 of 32 shots on goal en route to a win.

We cautioned that the raw numbers for Nikke Kokko and Victor Ostman may look a bit weaker this season due to the inexperience on the blue line in front of them. That has been true so far, with both taking a step back in save percentage and goals-against average. I haven’t been too concerned by their play in the games I have watched, though. The numbers should get better as the season goes along and the Firebirds’ young defenders tighten things up.

Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker​

2: Kim Saarinen, Julius Miettinen, Jagger Firkus

1: Jake O’Brien, Semyon Vyazovoi, Nathan Villeneuve, Ollie Josephson

Previewing the week ahead​

The Deep Sea Hockey Game of the Week is a Sunday 11:00 am PT matchup between Nathan Villeneuve’s Sudbury Wolves and Jakub Fibigr’s Brampton Steelheads. Warm up for the 2:00 pm PT Seattle Kraken game against the New York Islanders with some junior hockey.

Tracking 2026 NHL Draft prospects: Vladimír Dravecký​

Each season I put together a preseason NHL Draft watchlist based on scoring data, and each year there are a handful of players who catapult themselves into early-round conversation by taking a large statistical leap in their draft seasons. Defenseman Vladimir Dravecky is one such example from this season. After averaging less than half a point per game in the Swedish U20 league in the 2024-25 season, Dravecky came over to the OHL and has taken over as a key defensive play-driving force for O’Brien’s Brantford Bulldogs. His 15 points in 22 games rank third among first-time eligible OHL defensemen. At this point, he figures to be a top-50 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Recent prospect updates​

November 15, 2025: Firkus steps forward for Firebirds

November 7, 2025: Caden Price looks the part in pro debut

October 31, 2025: College hockey seasons under way for Kraken prospects

October 25, 2005: Mølgaard is an all-situations contributor as an AHL rookie

October 17, 2025: Tyson Jugnauth earns important role with the Firebirds

October 10, 2025: Firebirds drop the puck on the 2025-26 season

October 3, 2025: Catton makes his case for the NHL Roster

September 26, 2025: Junior seasons begin, J.R. Avon settles in

Curtis Isacke

Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.

Read more from Curtis

The post Down on the Farm – Blake Fiddler brings intriguing tools appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/11/21/down-on-the-farm-blake-fiddler-brings-intriguing-tools/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

2025-26 NHL attendance report

We’re a quarter of the way into the NHL season, which makes this a perfect moment to check in on attendance trends around the league. Some teams are up, some are down, and some are just… being themselves. Let’s take a look.

As always, a couple of quick disclaimers. Just because the NHL has crossed the quarter mark doesn’t mean every team has played a quarter of its home schedule. For example, the Toronto Maple Leafs have already played 15 home games compared to just six on the road. When comparing attendance year over year, I always use the same number of games for each team. So in Toronto’s case, I’m looking at their first 15 home games this season versus their first 15 from last season, regardless of when those games fell on the calendar.

Attendance numbers are team-reported and represent tickets distributed, not necessarily the number of people who actually walked through the doors. And none of this is about dunking on teams or fan bases; there are a ton of factors that impact attendance, like team performance, pricing, schedule quirks, weather, and even local sports overlap.

Average NHL attendance​

Leaguewide average attendance is up a modest 0.5 percent. In a league where many buildings are already at or near capacity, even small gains are a good sign. Keep in mind, the uneven number of home games played so far can nudge the leaguewide average in different directions. For example, Toronto’s 15 home dates at roughly 18,500 fans per game weigh more heavily than Utah’s eight home games at around 12,500. The effect is small, but it’s worth mentioning, especially this early in the season.

Here’s a look at team-by-team change based on the same number of games last season:

Utah’s attendance bump is tied to arena upgrades that added roughly 1,350 seats. They still play in the league’s smallest building, but there is ongoing chatter about future facilities for both the Jazz and Mammoth, suggesting this arena’s small capacity is only temporary. Meanwhile, Carolina, Montreal, and Washington are slightly down due to seat reconfigurations and building renovations.

Looking at sellouts​

The NHL remains very much a “sellout league.” More than half the games end up as virtual or actual sellouts, and several teams are at full capacity pretty much every night. That’s great for business, but it also limits how much average attendance can grow. Because of that, sellouts are a helpful metric for understanding movement.

So far, the league is slightly down: 58 percent of games have been sellouts, which trails last year but lines up with the last decade of non-COVID-impacted seasons.

Here’s the team-level breakdown:

Minnesota is the most surprising storyline here. They’re typically around a 90 percent sellout rate but sit at just 15 percent so far, with eight fewer sellouts in their first 13 home games compared to last season. Toronto also stands out, but several of their early home dates went head-to-head with the Blue Jays’ postseason run.

NHL attendance by team and game​

Here’s a look at how each team is trending game-to-game:

Some quick thoughts

• San Jose’s game-to-game swings are wild, but despite the volatility, they’re still better off than last season. I expect them to stabilize a bit as the year goes on.
• Chicago should also see a bump if the on-ice product continues to be as entertaining as it’s been.
• Pittsburgh has been a pleasant surprise. Despite preseason predictions that they were headed for a tank, they’ve been in the playoff mix the entire way—something that usually nudges attendance upward over time.
• Once again, NHL attendance looks pretty steady overall, with a few interesting wrinkles once you dig into the details. Performance does matter, but the effects typically lag by months—sometimes even full seasons.

Wrapping up​

Big picture, attendance across the NHL looks pretty steady so far, with a handful of teams bucking expectations in both directions. As the season rolls on and schedules and performances even out, we should get an even clearer picture of how these trends shake out.

The post 2025-26 NHL attendance report appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/11/21/2025-26-nhl-attendance-repor/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Three Takeaways – Montour’s OT winner caps another Kraken comeback, 3-2 against Penguins

The Kardiac Kraken (that’s what I’m calling them now) did it again! After rallying back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Thursday, Seattle again faced an uphill climb Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. In this one, they entered the third period tied 1-1, but going shorthanded for the fourth time in the game against the NHL’s best power play proved to be one too many rounds of playing with fire.

Evgeni Malkin made it 2-1 with the manpower advantage at 5:56 of the third, but Matty Beniers forced overtime, and Brandon Montour won it in the extra frame. The win gives the Kraken a big opportunity to take six of eight points on the road trip, as they head to Long Island to face the Islanders on Sunday.

“We defended as hard as we could,” coach Lane Lambert said. “I thought our goaltender played a great game, and there’s no question we’re going to be right back at here in not too many hours, so we just have to make sure that we focus in and be good with our structure tomorrow.”

Here are Three Takeaways from a 3-2 Kraken win over the Penguins in OT.

Takeaway #1: Mason Marchment gets the monkey off his back… then faceplants​

The start of Mason Marchment’s Kraken tenure has been far from perfect. Since he scored in Seattle’s first game of the season, we’ve frequently noticed him fumbling pucks, missing passes, and deferring to teammates instead of letting it rip in obvious shooting situations.

But since Lambert elevated him onto the top line with Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle, Marchment has seemed to be finding his way in deep sea blue. He made a massive impact against the Penguins with a goal, a primary assist, and a hilarious fall.

His goal and high-comedy tumble opened the scoring in a tight-checking game at 1:24 of the second period. Marchment actually turned the puck over to 18-year-old Ben Kindel, but then Kindel handed the puck right back to him and took himself out of the play at the Pittsburgh blue line. Marchment, finding himself with an open lane down the slot, took a few steps north and let his big shot go, sneaking it under the left arm of Sergei Murashov. As he pumped his fist and took a huge sigh of relief, the boards jumped out at Marchment and took him down in a heavy way.

IT'S A MUSH PUSH!

Marchment gets a gift handed to him by Kindel, then rips it through Murashov for his first goal since Game 1 of the season!

He absolutely bites it on the celebration, though.

1-0 #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/Hvtr5elrCC

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 23, 2025

Just an all-time goal celebration from Mason Marchment. #SeaKraken broadcast doing him dirty with the reverse angle here. pic.twitter.com/Zds666dQro

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 23, 2025

“Classic him, falling on his face with a big smile on his face,” Brandon Montour told Piper Shaw on the Kraken broadcast.

Marchment also factored into the critical game-tying goal in the third period. The top line had been buzzing for the better part of a minute, spending most of that stretch in Pittsburgh’s zone. After some perimeter passing, Marchment handed it to Ryker Evans, who began walking down the left half wall. The two traded places, and Evans dished it back to Marchment. Marchment wasted no time in finding Matty Beniers through the seam. Beniers dusted it off and slung a perfect shot under the bar.

MATTY MAGIC!

At the end of an outstanding shift by the top line, Mason Marchment makes a perfect seam pass to Beniers, who goes top cheddar. Beautiful goal.

2-2 #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/ao06XJlLTD

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 23, 2025

We were thrilled when the Kraken traded for Marchment in the offseason, but early returns have been limited. It’s great to see him get rewarded with two points in this one, and Kraken fans have to feel encouraged that this could be a turning point for him.

“[Marchment] has played very well for at least a couple of weeks now,” Lambert said. “He’s been a force out there, he’s making plays, he’s using his body. He’s playing well for us.”

By the way, on Beniers’ goal, Lambert said: “That was a snipe.”

Takeaway #2: Grubauer shines again​

The last couple of games have been the most confident Philipp Grubauer has looked in a long… long time. One could argue it’s the most confident he’s looked at any point during his tenure with the Seattle Kraken.

In a way, Grubauer is making general manager Jason Botterill look brilliant for not buying him out over the summer, because he has been razor-sharp in his last two appearances and has earned two straight wins—at a time when fellow backup Matt Murray has landed on the shelf for an extended period with a lower-body injury.

Grubauer came up with 30 saves in this one, his highest total of the season, and improved to 4-0-1 with a 2.14 goals-against average and .912 save percentage in six appearances, far and away his best numbers as a Kraken (though still in a relatively limited sample size).

What I liked most was the way he bounced back after his miscue with Ryan Lindgren gave Sidney Crosby an easy goal at 16:16 to tie the game 1-1. Sometimes a misplay like that—whether it was his fault or Lindgren’s or a combination of the two—can rattle a goalie. But Grubi went right back to work after that and continued looking calm and collected in the crease.

The Kraken are managing the duo of Grubauer and Joey Daccord a little differently than how they’ve historically handled them in back-to-back scenarios, running Grubauer out in the first game and saving Daccord for the second. So far, that plan has paid off. Sunday on Long Island, let’s see if Daccord can get them to their first win in the second of back-to-backs since the 2023-24 season and their first win in both games of a back-to-back since 2022-23.

Takeaway #3: Rallying back again​

The Kardiac Kraken aren’t making things easy on themselves. For a team starved for offense, you’d think they’d push a little harder to generate offense earlier in the game. But as we’ve heard from Lambert throughout the season, they need to be comfortable in tight games. And what’s really impressive is that it doesn’t seem to matter whether they’re ahead or behind by a goal (or two, as was the case Thursday in Chicago); they show good patience and composure either way, and when it feels like they need a goal, they’re getting it.

In the end, it was Montour who played the overtime hero in this one. After four minutes of struggling to even get possession and Kris Letang ringing one loudly off the post, Evans finally grabbed hold of the puck and retreated behind his own net to allow for a forward change. Evans began a controlled breakout with Freddy Gaudreau and Berkly Catton, then headed to the bench himself. On came Montour.

Gaudreau made a great play to gain the offensive zone with speed and hit the brakes at the top of the left circle, drawing two of the three Penguins defenders to him. He laid it back to the blue line, where Montour skated right into it, walked down Broadway, and ripped it past Murashov.

#SEAKRAKEN WIN! BRANDON BOMBTOUR!

The Kraken couldn't get sustained control for the first four minutes of OT. But they finally got a chance here, Freddy Gaudreau drew two defenders and laid it back for Brandon Montour to walk down Broadway.

3-2 final. pic.twitter.com/xaZN1lKMSW

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 23, 2025

Of course, it would be nice to see the Kraken win in easier fashion every now and then, but what they’re doing is working. With the victory, they improved to 11-5-5 on the season, good for 27 standings points and a very temporary tie with the Anaheim Ducks for first in the Pacific Division.

Are the Kraken nasty wasty?

Darren Brown​

Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email [email protected].

Read more from Darren

The post Three Takeaways – Montour’s OT winner caps another Kraken comeback, 3-2 against Penguins appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/11/22/kraken-rally-again-for-ot-win-against-penguins/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

10 for 10: Seattle Kraken games 11–20

We’ve hit another 10-game checkpoint in the season, which means it’s time for the next installment of 10 for 10: a quick look at 10 stats from the last 10 games that help show how the Kraken are trending.

The first stretch of the season saw the Kraken pick up 13 out of 20 points. Over Games 11 through 20, they grabbed 12 points. The output wasn’t identical, but pretty darn close, and surprisingly consistent for a team still searching for its identity.

Let’s dig into what stood out.

Data Point 1: Goals scored​

The Kraken keep banking points, but the goal scoring drought is still very real, and somehow, it’s actually gotten worse over the last 10 games.

Data Point 2: Shots for and against​

If it feels like the coaching staff has been hammering the “shoot more” message lately, it’s because they have. Lane Lambert brings it up almost every night, and the emphasis on generating more offense has been clear.

That said, over the last 10 games, the Kraken still rank just 24th in shots on goal. On the flip side, the defensive structure is holding strong: they rank 11th in fewest shots against per game.

Data Point 3: The penalty kill​

The Kraken have allowed a power-play goal in eight straight games, but oddly enough, their overall penalty-kill percentage over the last 10 games is better than it was in the first 10.

Data Point 4: Crowded standings​

This is more of a leaguewide trend, but it affects Seattle directly. The standings are extremely tight right now, with only Colorado really separating from the pack. Traditionally, roughly 80 percent of teams holding a playoff spot at U.S. Thanksgiving go on to qualify, but with the standings so jammed, that old rule might face a real stress test this year.

Data Point 5: Scoring from the defense​

With Ryker Evans back in the lineup, the Kraken now have three defensemen who can legitimately drive offense. That’s a rare luxury, and it’s reflected in the percentage of team goals coming from the blue line.

Of course, the flip side is that the forwards aren’t scoring nearly enough, which ties back into the bigger goal-scoring issue.

Data Point 6: High-danger shots​

The Kraken may not be filling the net, but they are generating more high-danger chances lately. If they keep trending upward here, goals should eventually follow.

Data Point 7: The “old guys” are leading the way​

For a team that’s fighting for every goal, it’s notable that the two oldest skaters on the roster, Jordan Eberle and Jaden Schwartz, are tied for the team lead with eight goals each and collectively off to one of their strongest collective starts.

And right behind them? Shane Wright, sitting third on the team with five goals.

Data Point 8: The return of Freddy Gaudreau​

Freddy Gaudreau’s addition this summer looked like a clear upgrade for the penalty kill. The penalty kill dipped while he was out, and although it hasn’t fully rebounded, the Kraken coaches seem to like what he brings to the PK based on the minutes he’s getting since coming back from injured reserve.

Data Point 9: Time spent leading​

The Kraken have scored first in 12 of their 20 games so far and earned 16 out of 24 possible points in those situations. Still, they haven’t actually held the lead for long stretches this season.

Spending a lot of time leading isn’t a requirement considering their overtime win in St. Louis, which never actually included a second where they were leading in the game.

Data Point 10: Overtime games​

One big driver of the Kraken’s early success has been their ability to get games to overtime. Some fans think the record is being “propped up” by all the OT points, but to me, that speaks more to how competitive this team has been and how comfortable they are in tight games.

For context: yes, Seattle has had a lot of overtime appearances, but four teams have had even more. Edmonton leads the league with 10.

Closing thoughts​

That wraps up this edition of 10 for 10. As before, the numbers paint both promise and frustration: strong structure, better high-danger chances, solid defensive play… but still waiting for the goal scoring to catch up.

Now, I’d love to hear from you.

What stats or trends would you like to see included in future 10 for 10 breakdowns? Are there areas of the game you want a deeper dive on—special teams, matchups, advanced metrics, anything else? Let me know, and I’ll work them into the next installment.

The post 10 for 10: Seattle Kraken games 11–20 appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/11/22/10-for-10-seattle-kraken-games-11-20/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Three Takeaways – Daccord earns shutout, yet Kraken lose 1-0 to Islanders in shootout

You don’t see that every day. Kraken goalie Joey Daccord earned a 34-save shutout against the Islanders… and LOST 1-0 in a shootout.

Still, the Kraken are coming home with a better-than-.500 record from their challenging four-game trip that took them to Detroit, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Long Island—a swing in which they faced four teams who have all been better than expected this season.

A win Sunday would have been a really nice cherry on top of the sundae, but the Kraken did manage to force yet another overtime against the Islanders and came a shootout goal away from sweeping a back-to-back for the first time since 2022-23. Alas, they came up short, but still snagged a point in the second game—the first time they’ve done that since the 2023-24 season.

“We didn’t score any goals, so we didn’t find a way to capitalize,” coach Lane Lambert said. “Of course, neither did they. I thought our goalie was really good. I thought their goalie made some good saves as well, but it’s just a common theme right now, shot volume or lack thereof. We passed up to many shots again, so at some point, we’ve got to figure this out.”

Daccord was incredible in this one. Here are Three Takeaways from a 1-0 Kraken shootout loss to the Islanders.

Takeaway #1: Joey deserved better​

It’s rare that a goalie pitches a shutout and still somehow comes away with a loss, but that’s what happened to Daccord on Sunday. He was dialed in from the drop of the puck, which was a good thing, because he did get tested early. As the game wore on, you could see that the Kraken were content to sit back and wait for their opportunities—of which there were very few. That meant they were leaning heavily on Daccord, who was equal to the task.

Daccord rebounded from giving up a squeezer of a goal in the trip-opening loss to the Red Wings on Tuesday with a solid 24-save win in Chicago on Thursday. He was even better on Long Island on Sunday, kicking out 34 of 34 shots in regulation and overtime, then two shootout attempts before Bo Horvat finally got one past him to extend the shootout to an extra round. Kyle Palmieri beat him again with the next shot and won the game.

#SeaKraken lose in the shootout… They had it. Horvat saved the Isles, Palmieri won it.

What a game by Joey Daccord.

Gaudreau
Barzal

Eberle
Holmstrom

Tolvanen
Horvat

Stephenson
Palmieri pic.twitter.com/VS59Z3UK5t

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 24, 2025

While the Kraken did a decent job of keeping things to the outside, there were more breakdowns in this game than in others. Some rush chances, some passes right into the slot, and some dangerous-looking flurries in front of the net. But Daccord was so calm and collected in net that he just never seemed to get out of position or sprawling to make stops. Even when shots were coming through traffic, pucks were hitting him and sticking without rebounds, and in the end, he stopped north of four expected goals, according to MoneyPuck.

Daccord’s effort comes on the heels of Philipp Grubauer’s 30-save performance on Saturday in Pittsburgh.

“They were really good [on the trip],” Lambert said. “I mean, it’s a big reason why we went the way that we went on the trip, but at the same time, our guys battled in front of them, blocked a lot of shots. I thought they both played very well.”

Added Freddy Gaudreau, “Joey and Grubi, the last game, both our goalies are giving us huge confidence out there. It’s huge when your goalies are just solid like that. They’ve been fun to play in front of. They’re just showing up every single game, and they’re ultra talented, so it’s fun to play in front of those guys.”

Takeaway #2: Anemic offense continues​

The Kraken did have some good looks in the game, and Big Save Dave Rittich came up with some important stops at critical moments for New York. But the Kraken—as they almost always do—went long swaths of the game without putting a shot on Rittich and ultimately mustered just 21 official offerings in 65 minutes of play.

Part of that is a lack of possession to get themselves set up in the offensive zone, and part of it is playing a structured and patient game that’s comfortable keeping the score low and largely in Seattle’s end. But part of it is a team-wide habit of deferring to teammates when players are in shooting positions, and then not connecting on those passes. In other words, they’re just trying to be too damn cute with the puck.

Asked by Piper Shaw why that seems to happen, Lambert said: “I think we’re looking for something better, and I don’t understand why. We’ve got to shoot the puck. The only way you can score goals, and I’ve said it before and over and over again, is to put pucks on net.”

Of course, it does sting Seattle’s scoring chances to have their only real goal-scoring threat, Jared McCann, out of the lineup, along with the play-driving Kaapo Kakko. Word on the street is that McCann could return this week, which would give this sputtering offense a boost.

Takeaway #3: A positive road trip, in the end​

The Kraken’s struggles in the second of back-to-backs continued on Sunday. BUT… but…

With the shootout loss, Seattle did get another point out of the game and came home with five out of eight possible points from a trip that started with a regulation loss in Detroit.

It was the first time since March 22, 2024 (so, more than a full season ago) that the Kraken earned a point in the second of back-to-backs. Remember, they went 0-12-0 in that scenario last year, a borderline impressive feat in and of itself.

“We had a good road trip. 2-1-1 and points in three of four. Tonight’s game ultimately comes down to a— call it what you want, but a skills competition at the end. If we win that, we’re feeling pretty good about ourselves, and I think we should still feel good about ourselves.”

In the still-airtight Pacific Division standings, the point moves Seattle into sole possession of second place behind Anaheim, although Vegas has played one fewer game and technically has a slightly better points percentage.

Darren Brown​

Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email [email protected].

Read more from Darren

The post Three Takeaways – Daccord earns shutout, yet Kraken lose 1-0 to Islanders in shootout appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/11/23/kraken-lose-to-islanders-in-shootout/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Monday Musings: Points are points

The Seattle Kraken didn’t always look like the better team this past week, but the standings don’t care about style points. They care about results, and the Kraken keep finding ways to collect them.

It started with a flat 4–2 loss in Detroit, the kind of game that could’ve set the tone for a rough road trip. Instead, Seattle flipped the script in Chicago, storming back from a two-goal deficit in the third period to steal a win. Two nights later, they pulled off another comeback in Pittsburgh, capped by a thrilling overtime finish. And on Sunday, Joey Daccord pitched a shutout against the Islanders, only to see the Kraken fall 1-0 in a shootout.

They got five out of eight possible points and finished the trip sitting in second place in the Pacific Division. For a team ranked near the bottom of the league in goals scored per game, that’s no small feat. The formula has been the same all season: stingy defense, timely goals, and a comfort level in tight, low-scoring battles. It’s not always pretty, but right now the vibes are high, and the Kraken are proving that survival in the NHL is about finding ways to win, not how you get there.

Shots on goal and shot attempts​

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Kraken are struggling to generate shots on goal. They currently rank 32nd in the league with just 24.1 shots per game. Part of that is playing with the lead, but another part is the recent uptick in time spent on the penalty kill. Seattle is still one of the more disciplined teams in the league, but they’ve been shorthanded a bit more than usual over the last 10 games. When you’re killing penalties, you’re not spending much time generating offense.

That doesn’t explain everything about the low shot volume, but it’s definitely a piece of it. The Kraken don’t fare a whole lot better when you look at overall shot attempts either; they’re 28th in that category.

Maybe the most concerning part: they aren’t generating high-danger chances. According to NaturalStatTrick.com, Seattle ranks dead last in both high-danger shots and high-danger shot attempts. This was a concern last season and a talking point coming into this one. It’s been slightly better over the last seven games, but it still feels like something that needs addressing if the Kraken want this run to continue.

High-danger shots against​

On the flip side, Seattle has been excellent at limiting high-danger looks against. At even strength, the Kraken allow just 5.4 high-danger shots per game, well below the league average of 6.0. That was on full display Sunday against the Islanders, a game in which New York controlled plenty of zone time but struggled to break into the high-danger areas.

Other musings​

• The Kraken’s game against the Islanders was their first in 10 outings without allowing a power-play goal against.
• Sunday’s shootout loss was their 10th overtime game of the season. They had just 13 all of last year. Seattle is 4–6 in OT this season and has lost all three shootouts.

• The point against the Islanders was the Kraken’s first point in the second half of a back-to-back since March 22, 2024.
• Freddy Gaudreau is now 11-for-20 in career shootout attempts, ranking fourth in the NHL among players with 15-plus attempts. The Kraken could’ve used him in those other two shootout games.
• A whopping 81.1 percent of Kraken game time this season has been played tied or within one goal. That leads the league.
• Despite their scoring issues, Sunday’s 1–0 shootout loss was the first shutout of the season against the Kraken. They were shut out seven times in each of the previous two seasons.
• A weekend note from the broadcast: The Kraken are minus-eight in first-period goal differential, second-worst in the NHL behind Detroit. They’re tied for sixth-best in the third period.
• Oscar Fisker Mølgaard made his NHL debut last week in Chicago. He played about six minutes a night in his two games, but it was still great to see him rewarded for strong progress. He’s the first Kraken pick from the 2023 draft class to play an NHL game. I don’t expect to see him much the rest of the way, but he’s ahead of schedule.

It’s NHL debut day for Oscar Fisker Molgaard! pic.twitter.com/DRil8UpgXx

— NHL (@NHL) November 21, 2025

• In case you missed it, I posted a new 10-for-10 over the weekend. There have been two games since, but the themes still hold.

Goal of the week​

A shoutout to Loke Krantz, Seattle’s seventh-round pick in 2025, who scored a beauty for his first goal in the SHL.

Loke Krantz gör det helt på egen hand när han reducerar för Linköping! pic.twitter.com/sxu2DRc6vY

— SHL.se (@SHLse) November 20, 2025

Player performances​

Seattle Kraken Goalies: Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer — The two of them combined to go 2-1-1 this week with a .940 save percentage and four ‘quality starts.’

Ryker Evans (SEA) — The third-pair defenseman tallied one goal and three assists over the last four games and looks like he’s taking a real step forward this season.

Jakub Fibigr (BRA/SEA) — The seventh-round pick put up five points in three games for Brampton and looks like a lock for Czechia’s World Junior team.

The week ahead​

The Kraken return home, but the schedule doesn’t exactly soften. First up are the big, bad Dallas Stars, winners of seven of their last 10 and the team Seattle has struggled against more than any other Western Conference opponent. The Kraken’s 2-9-2 regular-season record against Dallas is a glaring reminder of how tough this matchup has been. They haven’t beaten the Stars since that playoff series back in 2023. If history is any indication, this one will be a grind.

Things get only slightly easier when the Edmonton Oilers come to town. Yes, Seattle already beat them once this season, but as long as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are wearing those sweaters, “easy” isn’t exactly in play. Edmonton has had its issues, but those two can tilt the ice instantly. Honestly, if the Kraken can scrape out two of a possible four points this week, I’d call that a win.

And while we’re talking about hockey in Seattle, another quick nod to the city’s newest team: the Seattle Torrent. Their debut game was fast, fun, and competitive. With the home opener coming up, it’d be awesome to see a big crowd show up and give the franchise a proper welcome.

And finally…​

At the end of the day, the Kraken keep banking points, even if the road there hasn’t always been convincing. The defense-first identity is clear, the offense remains a work in progress, and yet the standings show Seattle right near the top of the Pacific. So how are you feeling about this team—encouraged by the results, frustrated by the style, or somewhere in the middle?

The post Monday Musings: Points are points appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/11/24/monday-musings-points-are-points/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Kraken Notebook – Daccord dialed in, team seeking scoring, McCann return imminent

The Seattle Kraken practiced at Kraken Community Iceplex on Tuesday for the first time since embarking on a four-game road trip in which they went 2-1-1, but fumbled a golden opportunity to sweep a back-to-back, losing 1-0 in a shootout to the Islanders to close out the trip on Sunday.

Lots of meaty topics in this Kraken Notebook, including a conversation with Joey Daccord about how he and Philipp Grubauer have been playing lately, some feelings of gratitude from Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, an encouraging update on Jared McCann, and more.

Enjoy!

Joey Daccord feeling good about his game​

It’s a rare thing for a goalie to earn a 34-save shutout and still come away with a loss.

“The only other one I can remember [like that in my career] is the Calder Cup Finals against Hershey,” Joey Daccord said, referencing a 30-save performance that he had for the Coachella Valley Firebirds in 2023. “We lost 1-0 in overtime, so it technically was a shutout, but we ended up losing. So, it doesn’t really count, but that’s the only one I can think of that was 0-0 that we lost.”

Daccord was red-hot in the contest against the Islanders but came up a shootout goal short of victory in the goalie duel against David Rittich, closing out a week of solid goaltending between himself and batterymate (and birthday boy) Philipp Grubauer.

“Some nights the puck bounces your way, and some nights it doesn’t,” Daccord said. “And that was one of the nights where it was about halfway through the game, and I was like, ‘I think the puck’s bouncing both goalies’ way tonight.’ And I was like, ‘I think it’s going to be hard to score a goal tonight.’”

Daccord also spoke glowingly of the performances Grubauer has had in his last two outings, winning 4-1 against San Jose in relief of an injured Matt Murray on Nov. 15, and then 3-2 in overtime on Saturday against the Penguins.

“He was unreal against Pittsburgh. It was so fun to watch,” Daccord said. “I mean, even that overtime, he had three or four monster saves. And then we go down and get one shot and score. I was like, ‘That’s hockey!’ He definitely stole us two points that night.

“And that San Jose game, where he came in in relief of Murr, it’s tough to go in and be that sharp. Me and Murr were watching on TV for that one, underneath in the locker room. And all we were saying was, when you come in like that, you just want to get a couple shots right away, a couple D-zone shifts, so you can just get into the game. He made a couple of monster stops right away. That first shift, they got hemmed in for like, two minutes, and he made a few saves. And we were like, ‘Alright, he’s good.’”

Indeed, even with Murray on the shelf, Kraken goaltending is in a pretty nice groove right now.

It’s funny how this three-goalie system has worked out so far. People thought the Kraken were crazy when they didn’t buy out Grubauer and also added Murray, but Murray and Grubauer got Seattle through an injury to Daccord, and now the Daccord/Grubauer combo has been lights out with Murray on the shelf. Maybe there’s something to this three-goalie system after all…

Oscar Fisker Mølgaard enjoying the ride​

It was great catching up with Fisker Mølgaard, who was called up last week and has played two games for the Kraken. The 20-year-old Danish forward is as nice as they come in the sport, and you can tell he’s really enjoying the opportunity to spend some time in the NHL.

“It’s almost hard to explain,” Mølgaard said. “It’s a dream come true, and just being a part of this every day and learning from all the other guys… It’s a great experience. So, I’m happy to be here.”

Oscar Fisker Mølgaard competes at Kraken rookie camp in September. (Photo/Brian Liesse)

Fisker Mølgaard said the first person he called when he got the news that he was heading to the show was his dad, who was on his way home from work in Denmark when he received the call.

“I know he was super proud,” Fisker Mølgaard said. “He said he almost shed a tear, and that doesn’t happen that often. So it was a special moment for all of us.”

How long Fisker Mølgaard sticks around remains to be seen. There’s a chance he goes back to Coachella Valley as soon as Wednesday, depending on what happens with Jared McCann (more on that in a bit).

Offensive struggles persisting​

The Kraken were never expected to be an offensive juggernaut this season, but if they were going to be a playoff contender—as they appear to be—then it would have been reasonable to anticipate middle-of-the-league scoring. Instead, they’ve found success in spite of an inept offense that ranks among the worst teams in the league with 57 goals for (30th in the NHL) and 2.59 goals per game (29th).

The players recognize that the lack of offensive production is a problem, and so does the coaching staff. Lane Lambert largely attributes the struggles to passing up shots, but he and the team know it’s more nuanced than that.

“I mean, definitely one part of it is passing up on shots,” Matty Beniers said. “If you’ve got an opportunity to shoot, and that’s the best play there is, you’ve got to shoot the puck, and you’ve got to get it on net.”

Lambert sees a team that is consistently looking for “something better” but believes there’s value in getting pucks to the goalie, even if it isn’t a Grade A chance.

“There’s also the philosophy that shots create shots in terms of rebounds,” Lambert said. “There’s A chances, B chances, and C chances, and C chances or C shots can create an A chance off a rebound.”

Beniers agreed with this line of thinking.

“It’s not just shot attempts, but also getting them through and on net, sort of for rebounds or chaos or backdoor plays,” Beniers said.

From the backend, Ryker Evans sees an opportunity for the defense to help drive more offense and create more opportunities for the forwards too, but says there’s also a need for more movement in the offensive zone.

“Shooting-wise, in a sense, it’s just being a bit more selfish and shooting the puck instead of trying to pass it into the net,” Evans said. “Offensive-wise, I mean, it’s there. At times, we’ve got good net-front presence, so as a D, you’ve just got to get the puck to the net. And I think just doing a little bit more motion from other guys, and maybe get a high F3 and just— I think the biggest thing is just finding the lanes and getting the puck to the net.”

Jared McCann should help​

The players and the coach seem to be on the same page in terms of their strategy for getting out of this offensive rut, but there’s also the question of personnel. The Kraken do not have many goal scorers on their roster, and their most reliable shooter—Jared McCann—has missed 17 games with a lower-body injury.

There’s good news on that front, though: it looks like he could be in the lineup for the game Wednesday against the Dallas Stars. Lambert wouldn’t confirm this to be the case, and McCann is still listed on injured reserve.

But he was on a regular line Tuesday with Berkly Catton and Shane Wright, and he also manned the right half wall on the power play. When a player is included in the power play at practice, he typically plays the next game, so this is a very encouraging sign.

“He’s a goal scorer, and, I mean, he’s a big part of this team, so having him back in the lineup would be huge,” Evans said. “And he’s just going to do what he does and put pucks in the net.”

Added Beniers: “That’s always a boost [to get McCann back]. I mean, the guy shoots the puck from everywhere. That’ll help for sure; he’s obviously a shooter, he’s one of our main shooters, so he’ll help a lot.”

Here’s how the Kraken lined up at practice:

Mason Marchment // Jordan Eberle // Matty Beniers
Jaden Schwartz // Chandler Stephenson // Eeli Tolvanen
Jared McCann // Berkly Catton // Shane Wright
Tye Kartye // Freddy Gaudreau // Ryan Winterton
Jani Nyman // Oscar Fisker Mølgaard

Vince Dunn // Adam Larsson
Ryan Lindgren // Brandon Montour
Ryker Evans // Jamie Oleksiak
Cale Fleury // Josh Mahura

If McCann is activated from IR, Seattle will have to make a roster move to make space for him. That likely means one of Nyman, Fisker Mølgaard, or Cale Fleury goes to Coachella Valley.

Darren Brown​

Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email [email protected].

Read more from Darren

The post Kraken Notebook – Daccord dialed in, team seeking scoring, McCann return imminent appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/11/25/kraken-notebook-mccann-injury-return-daccord-playing-well/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Three Takeaways – McCann returns, Schwartz exits as Kraken lose 3-2 to Stars

While the Seattle Kraken showed once again that they can be competitive in every game—even when the flow of the game is a little faster than others—they also showed that the Dallas Stars still have their number, losing 3-2 at Climate Pledge Arena on Thanksgiving Eve.

All-time, excluding the 2022-23 playoff series when Seattle won three games, the Kraken are now 2-9-2 against the Stars and have lost eight in a row. From the Dallas perspective, that’s a 12-1-1 record.

The Kraken looked good in this contest, and if they play like that every game, they’ll win most nights. But Casey DeSmith was sharp, the power play was atrocious, and two fluky goals cost the Kraken standings points.

Here are Three Takeaways from a 3-2 Kraken loss to the Stars.

Takeaway #1: Jared McCann in, Jaden Schwartz out​

As the Kraken offense sputtered over the last few weeks, it became more and more clear how much they missed their purest goal scorer, Jared McCann, who was absent for a whopping 17 games with a lower-body injury. He finally returned to the lineup on Wednesday and registered an assist on Vince Dunn’s game-tying goal 18 seconds into the third period.

HE DUNN DID IT!

2-2. Vince Dunn with a simple play off a rush 18 seconds into the 3rd. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/gRse807Bse

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 27, 2025

I liked McCann’s game. Though he only put two shots on net officially, I remember him buzzing around dangerous areas on several occasions during the contest.

“He had a couple good chances,” coach Lane Lambert said. “I thought he looked good. He hasn’t played for a long time; he hasn’t played much hockey this year at all. I think he’s gonna help us for sure.”

McCann did not exactly get to ease his way back into game action, though. Just 19 seconds into his very first shift since Oct. 18, Alex Petrovic caught him with a brutal high stick to the mouth, which sent McCann down the tunnel temporarily.

“Just tried to battle for a puck, and next thing you know, my tooth was in my throat,” McCann said. He also said he felt “better and better” as the game went on. It was good to see him back out there.

Hear from Jared McCann on his… painful… return to the lineup. “Next thing I know, my tooth is in my throat.” #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/7C807l6QDC

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 27, 2025

On the flip side, though, just as McCann returned to the lineup, another key piece went out with a lower-body injury. Jaden Schwartz went to the goal crease and got tangled up with DeSmith and Vladislav Kolyachonok late in the second period. He hobbled to the bench and down the tunnel and did not return to the game.

Jaden Schwartz limped off and went down the tunnel after getting tangled in the crease with Kolyachonok. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/pI1uTN7ga5

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 27, 2025

Lambert did not have an update on Schwartz after the game, saying he was still being evaluated.

Takeaway #2: The power play stunk​

On a night when the Kraken were either tied or a goal away from being tied for the entire game, they really needed their power play to chip in at least once. Despite getting ample opportunity—Seattle had the manpower advantage five times in the game, in fact—the PP came up completely empty on the night.

There were two especially critical moments where Seattle could have used contributions from the power play: first, when McCann’s dental incident in the early stages of the game drew a four-minute power play but did not generate a goal; and later, when Petrovic hauled down Matty Beniers behind the net with just 3:35 left. Seattle showed a little more creativity on that last one, shifting their players all over the offensive zone to try to create different looks, but it never felt like they were all that close to scoring.

“Myself included, I definitely made some plays that I want back,” Dunn said. “[We need] to simplify, make plays under pressure, and we’re the guys that need to make those plays, and we didn’t do it tonight. I thought the PK was great, and then the PP lets the team down a little bit, so that’s frustrating.”

Added Lambert: “Entry-wise, I didn’t think we did a great job, as we strove to enter the zone. Give them credit. They’re a big team, they’ve got long guys and big defensemen, but we could have done a better job there… [The power play] was needed tonight, and it’s been good for us, and it’s been there when we’ve needed it in the past. Tonight wasn’t that night.”

Takeaway #3: Better shot generation​

One big positive I saw in this one was more time spent in the offensive zone than in some recent past outings. Lambert has talked about more shot generation ad nauseam lately, and I chatted with a few players about this topic for my Kraken Notebook piece a couple days ago. The message seemed to get through, though, because there was clearly a concerted effort to get things going north more often and letting shots rip whenever there was an opportunity to do so.

Case in point: Brandon Montour gathered a puck in the corner after Shane Wright missed a wide-open net and didn’t hesitate to send it toward DeSmith from below the goal line. Montour got rewarded, as it banked off DeSmith’s right foot and into the net to make it 1-1 at 9:06 of the first period.

MONTY MONEY!

Shane Wright misses a wide-open net, but Brandon Montour corrals it in the corner and scores from the goal line.

1-1 #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/UWv32rZXCw

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 27, 2025

What was encouraging about this was that they put 28 shots on DeSmith (a high number by Seattle’s standards) but didn’t open themselves up defensively. Two of the goals against were somewhat fluky, with a high-tip play working perfectly to make it 1-0 and a floating wrist shot with five minutes left in the third on which Adam Larsson perfectly screened Joey Daccord and failed to get the block.

Kolyachonok scores to make it 3-2 with five minutes left.

Larsson set a perfect screen and didn't get the block. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/hQfNdLniM0

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 27, 2025

Again, if the Kraken can generate like that consistently without sacrificing much of their stout defensive structure, they’re going to remain a playoff competitor.

By the way, they did officially get to Thanksgiving in a playoff spot, although as Blaiz Grubic wrote a while back, losing on Wednesday and dropping to third place in the Pacific Division lowers their chances significantly. Roughly 89 percent of second-place teams at Thanksgiving make the playoffs, whereas about 63 percent of teams in third place at Thanksgiving qualify.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! I’m thankful for our great readers, listeners, and followers.

Darren Brown​

Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email [email protected].

Read more from Darren

The post Three Takeaways – McCann returns, Schwartz exits as Kraken lose 3-2 to Stars appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/11/27/kraken-lose-to-stars-jaden-schwartz-injured/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Thanksgiving playoff indicator: Where the Kraken stand now

Now that Thanksgiving has passed, we can finally, confidently, and with absolutely no doubt declare who will make the playoffs. Just kidding, but historically about 75 percent of teams in playoff position at Thanksgiving go on to the postseason, so the odds are in those teams’ favor.

Last month we reviewed teams in playoff position on Halloween to see if an earlier date could serve as an indicator of playoff contention.

Here is a breakdown of how each standings position fares in reaching the postseason at Thanksgiving.

As expected, teams in first and second place in their division fare better, but with more than 60 percent success from wild card teams and third-place teams, these spots still reach the playoffs more often than not.

Here is how the playoff picture looks at the Thanksgiving checkpoint.

Kraken update on playoff position​

The Kraken improved their standing from the last wild card spot at Halloween to third in the Pacific Division on Thanksgiving.

It may have been easy to write off their strong start in October, but Seattle has continued to accrue points by playing tight, defensive games. Because of this, they are tied for eighth in the NHL with 28 points. Their new defensive identity has made them a tough team to score against, allowing 2.57 goals per game, second only to the Colorado Avalanche at 2.09.

Over the last eight full NHL seasons, teams sitting in third place in their division at this juncture have made the playoffs 62.5 percent of the time.

On Thanksgiving Eve, the Kraken were holding second place but fell to the Dallas Stars. Vegas gained a point in a shootout loss to Ottawa, and both Seattle and Vegas now sit at 28 points. Vegas holds the tiebreaker with nine regulation wins compared with Seattle’s seven. Historically, second place in the division fares best, making the playoffs 90.6 percent of the time.

Standings differences since Halloween​

There were five teams in playoff position at Halloween that now sit outside the picture: the Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Winnipeg Jets. That means 68.8 percent (11 of 16) of teams in position on Halloween remain in position at Thanksgiving. This roughly matches the Halloween historical success rate of 66.4 percent, which surprised me.

Crowded standings​

With about 75 percent of the season remaining, no playoff spot is secure. While Thanksgiving can serve as an indicator, it is important to examine other factors. As John Barr pointed out in his 10 for 10 series, the standings are crowded this year.

In the Eastern Conference, the standings are extremely tight, with every team within five points of a playoff spot. Four teams are tied for the final wild card spot, so the playoff picture can shift any night.

In the Western Conference, the standings are starting to separate, but five teams remain within five points of a playoff spot. The Avalanche, with a league-leading 39 points, are pulling away. They have one regulation loss this season and are riding a 10-game win streak.

In the Pacific Division, the top four teams are bunched up. The Anaheim Ducks (yes, the Ducks) lead with 29 points. Vegas, Seattle, and Los Angeles are even at 28, with tiebreakers needed to sort them. Vegas holds the edge in regulation wins, while Seattle holds a slight advantage over LA in regulation and overtime wins.

Overtime games​

This season, fans have noticed the Kraken going to overtime more often, and they are right. Seattle has appeared in 10 overtime games through 23 contests (43.5 percent). Before this season, they went to overtime in 21 percent of regular-season games. This big jump is most likely tied to their defensive style, which has resulted in low-scoring games.

Through 360 games, this is the fewest # of games that have ended in regulation since the NHL (re)introduced overtime games in 1983-84. pic.twitter.com/0IjP3fLGMB

— NHLtoSeattle (@NHLtoSeattle) November 26, 2025

Although the Kraken are tied for first in OT appearances with 10, the entire league is seeing more overtime games. The NHL is at 28 percent of games needing extra time, a six percent increase over the last eight full seasons. The Pacific Division leads the charge with 34.2 percent. Eight NHL teams have nine or more OT games, and five of them are in the Pacific Division.

The high number of OT appearances has both helped and hurt Seattle. The drawback appears in regulation wins, where they have seven, tied with LA for the lowest among playoff-position teams. This could matter later, as regulation wins are the top tiebreaker.

On the positive side, Seattle has banked 14 points in their 10 OT games. They are 4-3 in 3-on-3 overtime but winless in shootouts, dropping all three. It is easy to get frustrated by shootouts, but they have no bearing in the playoffs aside from the extra standings point. Even with no shootout wins, Seattle sits just one win below .500 in OT and SO games.

The bigger indicator of playoff success is regulation wins. For example, in Seattle’s only playoff appearance, they entered as the first wild card and faced the heavily favored Avalanche. Even though Colorado won the Central Division, Seattle had more regulation wins (37 to 36). It was a closer matchup than many realized, and the Kraken knocked out the defending Stanley Cup champions in seven games.

The takeaway: do not get hung up on OT or SO results. Take the point and move on. Seattle’s results in extra-time games should even out as the season progresses, and the steady stream of loser points should keep them in the race just as it has through the first quarter of the season.

Wrapping up​

The Kraken still have work to do, but they are in a better position than many preseason rankings predicted. They have continued to find success despite injuries and inconsistent scoring. Seattle is a hard team to play against, and its experience in close games should help if (or when) the Kraken return to the playoffs. That is especially true in playoff overtime, where play stays at 5-on-5.

Next up is a home-and-home against the Oilers, starting Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena. Edmonton will have a chip on its shoulder after a rough 8-3 loss to the Dallas Stars. This is the second of four matchups this season. Seattle won the first one and held Connor McDavid without a point or shot on net.

What do you think of the Thanksgiving cutoff as an indicator? Leave your comments below.

Blaiz Grubic​

Blaiz Grubic is a contributor at Sound Of Hockey. A passionate hockey fan and player for over 30 years, Blaiz grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is an alumni of Washington State University (Go Cougs!). When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about hockey, he enjoys quality time with his wife and daughter or getting out on a golf course for a quick round. Follow @blaizg on BlueSky or X.

Read more from Blaiz

The post Thanksgiving playoff indicator: Where the Kraken stand now appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/11/28/thanksgiving-playoff-indicator-where-the-kraken-stand-now/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Down on the Farm – Projecting Kraken prospects to the 2026 World Junior Championship

“Down on the Farm” is your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. We’re coming to you a bit late this week due to the holidays on Thursday (U.S. Thanksgiving) and Friday (first home game for the Seattle Torrent). But we’ll still get you all the news, video, and data from every corner of the Kraken organization that you’ve come to expect. In our lead segment, we’ll offer some reckless predictions about which Kraken prospects will—or will not—make their national teams for the upcoming 2026 World Junior Championship.

If you have a Kraken prospect–related question you’d like to see featured in a future column, drop us a note below or on X or BlueSky @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey. Let’s dive in.

World Junior Championship projections for Kraken prospects​

Berkly Catton | F | Team Canada​

Berkly Catton will be Team Canada’s first-line center and quite possibly its captain if he is loaned to the team. Seattle’s plan for Catton is the only question. The NHL team seems to be “one in, one out” with its top-nine forwards right now. Most recently, Kaapo Kakko appeared primed to return, and then Jaden Schwartz was injured. This has created a spot for Catton to continue to contribute on the roster.

Even so, I suspect the Kraken will loan Catton to Team Canada—unless the team is further stricken by injuries in the coming days. Though every point is important for Seattle right now, Catton has not moved the needle for the NHL club to the extent that he is indispensable. The team may view a WJC stint as beneficial for the player (and, therefore, the team) long term.

Jake O’Brien | F | Team Canada​

Ironically, if Catton isn’t made available to Team Canada, the primary “beneficiary” could be Jake O’Brien, who could slide into a top-nine playmaking role vacated by Catton. O’Brien has created a reel of highlights in the first half of his OHL season, primarily through his elite vision and passing. He leads the junior league with 41 points in 22 games.

I’m inclined to believe O’Brien will make the roster regardless, but his playing time will depend on whether Team Canada is without some of its projected front-line contributors like Catton (either because they were not loaned to the team or due to injury). At full attendance, O’Brien still projects as a marginal piece for this year’s team.

Ollie Josephson | F | Team Canada​

We characterized Ollie Josephson as a long shot to make this year’s WJC team when he unexpectedly joined Team Canada for the World Junior Summer Showcase. We feel the same way now. I suspect Josephson is on the outside looking in given the talent available to this year’s Canada squad. If the team wants a fourth-line forechecker, it could do much worse than Josephson, but I expect Canada will prioritize skill in this year’s group.

Jakub Fibigr | D | Team Czechia​

Jakub Fibigr has been a stalwart for Czechia in international events over the last few years. Elite Prospects has Fibigr logging 23 games with the Czech international team over the last two seasons—in addition to a full slate in the OHL. He has shown the ability to move the puck and play in all situations in these international showings.

This year, however, Czechia will be leaning on Fibigr. After his emergence as a No. 1 defenseman in the OHL this season, I suspect Team Czechia will deploy him heavily, particularly on the power play. He may play as much as any Kraken skater at this year’s WJC.

Julius Miettinen | F | Team Finland​

At last year’s WJC, we saw the best version of Julius Miettinen we had seen to that point. He was fast and physical. Playing in Finland’s top six, he often took difficult matchups—particularly in two meetings with Team USA—and more than held his own. Beyond that, Miettinen was a top option on the penalty kill and a net-front presence on the power play. Unfortunately, an injury derailed much of the remainder of his junior season.

This year, Miettinen has turned up the scoring production in the WHL, and he looks primed for a featured role at the WJC. He projects to land on Finland’s top line and play even heavier minutes than last year.

Kim Saarinen | G | Team Finland​

Kim Saarinen has been a regular starter in Liiga, Finland’s top professional league, for the last year and a half. Last season he outpaced even the prodigious production of fellow Kraken prospect Nikke Kokko in their respective post-draft seasons. And Saarinen was on Team Finland’s roster at last year’s WJC (though did not play). All of this led me to project that Saarinen would be on Team Finland’s roster, but likely as the backup behind fellow 19-year-old standout Petteri Rimpinen.

That dynamic has not changed much this fall. Rimpinen has arguably outplayed Saarinen at the international precursor events and seems to be ahead of Saarinen in the eyes of Team Finland management. Saarinen will be with Team Finland but may not play more than one pool play game unless Rimpinen falters.

Blake Fiddler | D | Team USA​

Fiddler has been a stalwart for Team USA at U18 and U20 precursor tournaments to the World Junior Championship. There is little doubt in my mind that Fiddler is on track to play an important role for Team USA at the 2027 event, when he will be 19 years old. The question is: Does he have a place on Team USA’s blue line this year at 18 years old (a.k.a. an “underager”)?

Over the summer I had Fiddler on the outside looking in. I’m slightly more optimistic about his chances now because his offensive production has ticked up in the WHL. (Fiddler had 33 points in 64 WHL games last season, a .52 point-per-game pace. He’s at 18 points through just 23 games so far this year, a .78 point-per-game pace.) Team USA projects as a sound team, but one that may struggle to score compared with recent years after an exodus of high-end skill. Fiddler’s offensive traits may be too intriguing to leave at home.

Right now, I’d project Fiddler as the No. 7 defenseman for Team USA at the 2026 WJC.

Notes on three more Kraken prospects​

Eduard Sale | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)​

Eduard Sale’s season did not get off to a promising start. He was held off the scoresheet in the Firebirds’ Oct. 10 opener against the San Diego Gulls, and then he proceeded to miss the next month and a half with an injury.

The narrative has shifted a bit since his Nov. 21 return, however. In three games, he has four points (one goal and three assists), and the Firebirds are plus-one with him on the ice at even strength during those contests. By our data score metric—which is built on scoring rates, not totals—Sale’s point-per-game stat line in the AHL at age 20 is the most impressive scoring season in the system right now. Of course, the small-sample-size caveat applies, but this serves as a reminder: Sale is still young and skilled. He shouldn’t be overlooked.

POWER PLAY GOAL BY ŚALÉ AND AVON WITH THE ASSIST
3-2 Firebirds pic.twitter.com/eYSVhG92F0

— Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) November 23, 2025

Zaccharya Wisdom | F | Western Michigan Univ. (NCAA)​

Zaccharya Wisdom, a 2023 seventh-round pick of the Seattle Kraken, is an unheralded player in the system, but he has pushed his production up a notch in his junior year at Western Michigan University. Wisdom scored three goals and added an assist—and the Broncos were plus-four with him on the ice at even strength—in last weekend’s sweep of the University of Nebraska-Omaha. This earned Wisdom NCHC “Forward of the Week,” and it also makes him your Sound Of Hockey Player of the Week.

𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞

@WMUHockey's Zaccharya Wisdom

Wisdom tallied points and was +4 in a sweep at Omaha, scoring goals on Friday and adding another goal and an on Saturday!

: https://t.co/oTyst3nNMY#theNational // #BroncosReign@SeattleKraken pic.twitter.com/1ATXNWJG5I

— The NCHC (@TheNCHC) November 25, 2025

Ville Ottavainen | D | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)​

Ottavainen returned to the ice on Friday, Nov. 28, for the Firebirds, his first game action since Nov. 8. He had been sidelined with a lower-body injury. His return coincided with immediate defensive results, as the Firebirds shut out the San Diego Gulls en route to a 5-0 win.

Kraken prospects data update​

Miettinen accumulated the most points per game over the last week, and he tied for the most points overall with Fibigr. Both continue to show they are elite junior players in their age-19 seasons.

Logan Morrison has been a leader for the Firebirds in all respects this season. The 23-year-old undrafted center is second on the team in points (behind only Jagger Firkus) and looks like an emotional leader on the ice.

Saarinen got his season back on track over the last week with two strong starts, including a shutout. He got his save percentage back near .900 for the season and was a strong contender for Player of the Week.

Kokko finished the last week with a save percentage over .900, which is reflective of an incremental step forward in the overall defensive play of the Firebirds. (He also earned a shutout on Friday, Nov. 28, in a game that isn’t included in these statistics, which were gathered Friday morning.)

Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker​

2: Kim Saarinen, Julius Miettinen, Jagger Firkus

1: Jake O’Brien, Semyon Vyazovoi, Nathan Villeneuve, Ollie Josephson, Zaccharya Wisdom

Previewing the week ahead​

The Deep Sea Hockey Game of the Week is a matchup between Nathan Villeneuve’s Sudbury Wolves and Jakub Fibigr’s Brampton Steelheads on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 1:00 pm PT.

Tracking 2026 NHL Draft prospects: Adam Novotny​

The Czech-born Novotny had an impressive draft-minus-one season. The 6-foot-1 forward played 41 games in the top Czech professional league and was a regular contributor for the Czech U20 team at the World Junior Championship as a 17-year-old. Like many young players who reach the top of the European professional ranks early, he opted to move to North America in his draft year to get acquainted with the play style and assume a featured offensive role. This season he’s averaging more than a point per game for the Peterborough Petes in the OHL. If he keeps up that pace, he’ll likely hear his name called in the top 20 picks of the 2026 NHL Draft.

Recent prospect updates​

November 21, 2025: Blake Fiddler brings intriguing tools

November 15, 2025: Firkus steps forward for Firebirds

November 7, 2025: Caden Price looks the part in pro debut

October 31, 2025: College hockey seasons under way for Kraken prospects

October 25, 2005: Mølgaard is an all-situations contributor as an AHL rookie

October 17, 2025: Tyson Jugnauth earns important role with the Firebirds

October 10, 2025: Firebirds drop the puck on the 2025-26 season

October 3, 2025: Catton makes his case for the NHL Roster

September 26, 2025: Junior seasons begin, J.R. Avon settles in

Curtis Isacke

Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.

Read more from Curtis

The post Down on the Farm – Projecting Kraken prospects to the 2026 World Junior Championship appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/11/2...spects-to-the-2026-world-junior-championship/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Monday Musings: The Kraken lull

We were due for a week like this. I mentioned last week that I was concerned about the week ahead, and it played out exactly how I feared, as the Kraken dropped both games in regulation to the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers. Both are formidable opponents, so I knew there was a decent chance the Kraken could lose them both. That said, I’m not nearly as disappointed as I’ve been in other weeks when the Kraken actually came away with points.

Let’s start with the Stars game. Dallas has owned the Kraken in the regular season. Seattle was 2-9-2 against the Stars heading into Wednesday, with the lowest points percentage they have against any Western Conference opponent. And honestly, I just don’t remember the Kraken competing well against them, aside from the 2022-23 playoff series. Despite the loss, maybe that’s why I was so surprised to see the Kraken play as well as they did. There were long stretches where Seattle genuinely looked like the better team. Deep into the third, it felt like the game was destined for overtime, but Vladislav Kolyachonok floated an innocent-looking wrist shot from the point that went past a screening Adam Larsson, hit the post and found its way in.

Kolyachonok scores to make it 3-2 with five minutes left.

Larsson set a perfect screen and didn't get the block. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/hQfNdLniM0

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 27, 2025

Haters are going to point out it was the second half of a back-to-back for Dallas and that they had their backup in net. All true. But with that much firepower and the lopsided history between these two teams, the game left me feeling pretty good about where the Kraken stand. It was still a disappointing result, but it reinforced that the Kraken can hang with anyone. And considering they’ve beaten Anaheim, Vegas, and Winnipeg twice already, we shouldn’t be shocked that they have that level of compete in them.

That set up a perfect trap game on Saturday against Edmonton. The Oilers were coming off an embarrassing 8–3 loss to Dallas, and when you poke the bear enough, eventually it bites back. Edmonton’s top four forwards each scored, and the Kraken were shut out. I don’t think the game was as one-sided as the score suggests, but you’re not winning many games when you get shut out. Seattle certainly had chances to get back into it, but they went 0-for-6 on the power play, including an extended 5-on-3 while down just 1–0. At the end of the day, though, it’s still a loss.

Power play challenges​

Over the last 10 games, the Kraken have run at a meager 14 percent on the power play and haven’t scored a power-play goal in their last four games despite 14 opportunities, including five against Dallas and six against Edmonton. There’s no question the power play is struggling, but there were moments Saturday when they actually had stable possession and seemed to be generating shot attempts. So I spent part of my Sunday digging into the numbers.

First, I wanted to see whether they really did generate a lot of shot attempts on Saturday. The Kraken had 22 power-play shot attempts, their second-highest total in a game this season. It was also their second-highest total power-play time, so to evaluate it better, I calculated shot attempts per two minutes of power-play time. That came out to 4.29 attempts. It’s not their highest rate of the season, but it’s close.

Next, I widened the scope to see how their shot-attempt rate stacks up league-wide.

Based on the visual above, they’re sitting pretty close to league average in shot attempts per two minutes. That suggests quantity is fine, but the quality might not be there. I’ve already gone long here, so I’ll save that for another day.

Inaugural Torrent game​

Hopefully you were lucky enough to make it to the inaugural Seattle Torrent game Friday afternoon. The Torrent lost 3–0 to the two-time defending Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost in front of a PWHL record 16,014 fans. The atmosphere was incredible, the arena was filled with seasoned hockey fans, new fans, kids, families, the whole thing. The Torrent came out buzzing, but the Frost got a favorable bounce late in the first and never looked back.

I have a lot of thoughts, but this feels like another huge step for hockey in the region. The kid-friendly start times and reasonable ticket prices should give more families a chance to check out a game. And I’m excited to see how having the PWHL in town boosts female participation in the sport.

There was also quite a bit of constructive fan feedback about the arena experience. I’ve got my own wish-list items too, but I also know they don’t have the budget or institutional experience the Kraken have. Let’s be patient, give feedback when asked, and see how things evolve. For a team announced five months ago, I’m honestly blown away by how much they’ve pulled off.

Other musings​

• In case you missed it, Jaden Schwartz is the latest Kraken player to land on IR, another significant blow. Schwartz, expected to miss six weeks, has been one of the most underrated players in franchise history, and this team will feel his absence. Before the injury, Schwartz was on the ice for about 40 percent of Seattle’s power-play time.

• One silver lining: Jared McCann returned Wednesday against Dallas after missing 18 games. He brings an element this team has been missing. (Check out this pregame feature on Jared that aired before Saturday’s game.)
• I’m always stunned that there’s not even a hint of suspension for a malicious elbow aimed at someone’s head, even if it doesn’t land. If the league wants to minimize concussions, make those actions consequential—not just the ones that result in injuries. I’ve held this stance forever, no matter which team is involved.

Leon Draisaitl throws an elbow at Marchment and takes EDM's fifth penalty of the game.

Marchment may have been clever by not accepting a fight. He's under the skin of the Oilers, who are more worried about revenge on him.

PP absolutely has to convert here. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/On3X3PAkPL

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 29, 2025

• Big congrats to former Seattle Thunderbirds Thomas Milic and Reid Schaefer, who made their NHL debuts for the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators, respectively.

Goal of the week​

Nice sequence from Coachella Valley: David Goyette finds Lleyton Roed for his first of the season.

ROED KICKS US OFF WITH THE FIRST GOAL OF THE GAME AND HIS FIRST GOAL OF THE SEASON!!

1-0 pic.twitter.com/64GA9oRztT

— Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) November 29, 2025

Player performances​

Julius Miettinen (EVT/SEA) – Five points in three games for Everett. He’s fifth in the WHL in points per game and a huge reason Everett is the best team in the league this season.

Zeb Forsfjäll (Skellefteå AIK/SEA) – The Kraken’s 2023 sixth-round pick scored his first two goals of the SHL season.

Zeb Forsfjäll skjuter sin första fullträff för säsongen och dubblerar Skellefteås ledning pic.twitter.com/7D8975PJ9a

— SHL.se (@SHLse) November 29, 2025

Nikke Kokko (CV/SEA) – Posted his first AHL shutout on Friday, stopping all 31 shots against San Diego.

Week ahead​

It’s a light but tricky week. The Kraken head to Edmonton on Thursday, and if the Oilers win in regulation, they’ll leapfrog Seattle (although Edmonton could also move ahead with a win against the Wild on Tuesday). Seattle is just 1-5-1 at Rogers Place, and after Saturday’s win, Edmonton might be ready to go on a run… or the Swiss-cheese defense could return, and the Kraken could show the resilience they’ve shown all season.

The only other game this week is Saturday at home against Detroit. The Wings are on a bit of a skid at 0-3-1, and the Kraken already lost 4–2 to them in November. Detroit has solid special teams; Seattle… does not.

The target for the week should be two points. Anything above that is gravy. The Kraken are playing their worst offensive hockey of the season right now, and until they fix their issues, expectations should stay pretty low.

And finally…​

The Kraken are still in a playoff spot and still competitive in games where they don’t have much firepower. They’re in a lull, so no one should be panicking… yet.

Am I the only one trying to keep a level head here?

The post Monday Musings: The Kraken lull appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/01/monday-musings-kraken-lull/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

The Current: Recapping the first week in Seattle Torrent history

After losing 4-3 in overtime in their first game ever at the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Nov. 21, the Seattle Torrent took the ice at Climate Pledge Arena for the first time on Black Friday in a midday game against the two-time PWHL champions, the Minnesota Frost. Both teams were seeking their first win of the season, having each recorded a one-goal loss on opening day.

Despite the workday (for most people) puck drop, over 16,000 fans were in attendance, shattering the previous American record for professional women’s hockey by more than a thousand. Even with a disappointing 3-0 loss, the fans showed up throughout the game, cheering to the bitter end for their new franchise and even sticking around to applaud a stick salute from the Torrent players.

Though the scoreline didn’t reflect it, the game was exciting and engaging, featuring two well-matched opponents. All the fans I spoke with, even those who had never attended a hockey game before, had a great time. They thought the team looked good, played fun, fast, and physical, and shared that they would definitely be back.

Corinne Schroeder makes a save against the Frost. (Photo/The PWHL)

Torrent vs. Frost game recap​

Period 1

The Torrent started the game looking much sharper than in their 4-3 season-opening loss last week in Vancouver. Passes were connecting, and by my eye test, the Torrent enjoyed a majority of possession. Torrent goalie Corrine Schroeder made some good saves, although an unlucky deflection from a Kelly Pannek shot late in the period put the Frost up 1-0.

Period 2

Momentum shifted slightly in the second period, with the Frost increasing their time in the offensive zone. The game got a bit chippier in the second, and the Torrent had to go on the penalty kill twice, but their PK kept the Frost off the board, blocking numerous shots while Schroeder handled the rest.

Period 3

The Torrent had their chance on the power play early in the third period. Both power-play units appeared confident and in control but couldn’t get anything past Frost netminder Nicole Hensley, who was outstanding in the game.

A turnover in the neutral zone led to a second goal from Pannek. Minutes later, Grace Zumwinkle found a loose puck during another Minnesota power play to round out the Frost’s scoring. The end of the game was even more physical, with Seattle’s Megan Carter tussling with Minnesota’s Britta Curl. The two have a history; Curl was suspended for a game last season after elbowing Carter in the head. The Torrent never gave up and had some great looks late but couldn’t solve Hensley, who robbed Hilary Knight in the closing minutes. Late in the final frame, Danielle Serdachny blocked two shots to prevent the Frost from scoring on an empty net, earning herself the third star of the game.

Hilary Knight takes a shot against the Frost. (Photo/The PWHL)

Post-game thoughts​

After the game, Frost forward and first star of the night Kelly Pannek, who played in a rivalry series game at CPA, spoke about playing in Seattle again and being in front of a record-setting crowd. “We knew once this market was announced they were going to have great fan support… It’s exciting to play in buildings like that; the fans are engaged, they’re loud.”

Torrent coach Steve O’Rourke spoke highly of his players’ efforts and noted their improvement since their first game. He emphasized that they played well for the first two periods and fed off the energy in the building. His team generated a “good quantity of chances, but probably not enough quality.” O’Rourke expressed disappointment with the result but felt that the team’s identity was strengthened and that they have a clear direction as they move forward this season.

Knight, who arrived at the game in a bedazzled Sue Bird jersey, understood the gravity of the moment, calling it a dream come true and a “pinch-me moment” (though, if I can be honest, I think she was most excited that Brandi Carlile was there). Knight was impressed by the team’s start, getting lots of shots on goal, and playing tough and physical. She praised the crowd’s dedication to the new team, cheering until the very end, even when the game was all but lost. “You can really ride that; it’s a huge advantage to be able to play at home when you’ve got a crowd that’s as electric as our fans.”

Seattle’s own Marah Wagner also spoke. She played in Sweden last year and made the team after a camp invite. General manager Meghan Turner spoke about her pre-game: “She’s an easy one to talk about… she came to camp prepared. Her skill set was there, but her compete was really incredible. She fit right in, didn’t look nervous, dove in, and worked hard. She embodies the identity of a competitive, hardworking group.”

Wagner was awestruck by the night. She never thought anything like this would become a reality in Seattle. Many little girls were in attendance with ‘Coach Marah’ signs, having attended her local hockey camp. Wagner is also hopeful about the Torrent’s progress. “We have been taking tremendous steps every day; we are showing up to practice and battling to the end, and we are pushing each other every day.”

Notes and notions​

Injury update: defender Aneta Tejralová is still out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, while forward Jenna Buglioni is also day-to-day.

Rookie defender Lyndie Lobdell spoke to the press on Sunday after practice. Friday was her first-ever PWHL game. She credited her off-season training for her success so far this season and acknowledged her blue line teammates for helping her adjust to the team, city, and the increased speed and physicality of PWHL gameplay.

She, too, mostly had positive things to share from the game, expressing her shock and awe at looking up in CPA and seeing it filled with fans. The one thing she wanted fans to know is that she’s really nice and loves to meet people: “So if you see me, come say hi!”

The team had a more low-key practice and focused heavily on shooting and tips, obviously hoping to avoid being shut out again in Wednesday’s home game against the 2-1 New York Sirens.

The post The Current: Recapping the first week in Seattle Torrent history appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/01/seattle-torrent-home-opener/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Strive for 95 (points) – December update for the Kraken

Welcome to the December edition of Strive for 95. The Seattle Kraken did what was needed in November and remain on pace for 95 points. The Kraken sit in the second wild card spot and have played only 24 games, tied for the fewest in the NHL with two other teams.

Seattle is on a short break and will not play again until Thursday. At that point, they will have played the fewest games of any NHL team. Having games in hand is a good thing, especially when you are already in a playoff position. All stats and standings are based on the month of November and current as of Nov. 30 unless otherwise stated.

I feel like I say it every month, but this was another roller coaster of a stretch.

November recap​

The month started well with three points in the first two games. Then San Jose handed Seattle its worst loss of the season, a 6-1 defeat. Joey Daccord was pulled in that game and was placed on injured reserve days later, though the injury was believed to have happened during practice. With Philipp Grubauer and Matt Murray set to split the net, Kraken fans held their breath expecting a slide. That never came. Grubauer and Murray combined for six starts and earned nine points. Watching the Kraken stay competitive regardless of who is in net was a huge confidence boost. Grubauer finished the month with a .917 save percentage, while Murray posted a .939.

Murray was injured in the second matchup against San Jose, though, just as Daccord returned from IR. Spirits were still high, and Seattle earned five points on a four-game road swing. That is where the Kraken’s lack of scoring caught up with them as they dropped the final two games of the month in regulation to Dallas and Edmonton.

Over the last six games, Seattle scored only nine goals and was shut out twice. One shutout came against the New York Islanders on the second leg of a back-to-back. Miraculously, Daccord also recorded a shutout, sending the game to a shootout. Seattle fell 1-0, but it snapped a streak of 15 straight regulation losses in the second leg of back-to-back games. Their previous point in a second game of a back-to-back came on Mar. 21, 2024, in an overtime loss to Arizona.

Seattle posted a 6-5-3 record for 15 points in 14 games, two points under their November target. They were two points over target in October, so the overall pace remains on track for 95.

Updated tiers​

As of Nov. 30, every NHL team is within striking distance of a playoff spot. Nashville sits last in the league but is only seven points out. The East is even tighter, with all teams within five points of a spot. Both the Playoff Bound and Tanker tiers were reduced to five and four teams, reflecting how tightly packed the standings have become.

Bolded teams are teams the Kraken play this month. ‘x2’ indicates the Kraken face that team twice. Up and down arrows show teams that moved between tiers.

Notes on tier movement​

Atlantic Division: Tampa Bay jumped to the Playoff Bound tier after an 11-3 month and is currently on a seven-game win streak. Boston moved up after a 9-5 month that lifted them to second in the division, though they have played 27 games, and others hold games in hand. Florida and Toronto dropped from the Playoff Bound tier, with both teams four points out of a playoff spot and hovering around .500.

Metropolitan Division: Washington was the only change. The Capitals went 9-4-2 and won seven of their last eight. The push only moved them to third in the division, which is solid but not enough to justify a Playoff Bound spot with three teams right behind them and Philadelphia and Pittsburgh each holding two games in hand. Another strong month could move them back up, but for now the standings are too tight.

Central Division: Shame, shame, shame. I got it wrong last month, so this division needed a reset. Dallas, second overall in the NHL, moved back to the Playoff Bound tier. Utah fell back to earth with a 4-8-3 month and now sits one spot out of a playoff position. Minnesota rebelled against their Tankers label by going 11-1-2 and rose to the very top of the Bubble tier. Winnipeg fell to the Bubble tier with eight losses in November and arthroscopic knee surgery for Connor Hellebuyck that will sideline him four to six weeks. St. Louis moved up to the Bubble tier after earning points in 11 of 15 games. They are 0-7 in overtime and shootout games, which should even out at some point. Their negative 23 goal differential is second worst in the league, but 10 of their last 11 games in November have been one-goal contests.

Pacific Division: Anaheim leads the division with 31 points. Los Angeles has the same point total but trails in regulation wins. That is the lowest point total to lead any division, so both remain in the Bubble tier. Vegas went 5-4-5 and dropped to third, removing them from the Playoff Bound tier. With no clear front-runner, the Playoff Bound tier remains empty. San Jose continued to surprise with a 9-5-1 month and moved up to the Bubble tier.

Overtime games​

A key reason for the tight standings is the surge in overtime games. Through Nov. 30, 27.9 percent of games have required overtime.

Over the last eight full seasons, the average was 22.1 percent. This season’s rate is a 5.8 percent increase. Sound Of Hockey’s John Barr found this is the highest percentage since overtime was reintroduced 42 years ago.

Through 360 games, this is the fewest # of games that have ended in regulation since the NHL (re)introduced overtime games in 1983-84. pic.twitter.com/0IjP3fLGMB

— NHLtoSeattle (@NHLtoSeattle) November 26, 2025

December breakdown​

December offers Seattle its most favorable travel schedule. The Kraken will travel 5,302 miles, all within the Western Conference. Their longest trip is a four-game swing, with three of those games in California, which minimizes travel. With 13 games scheduled, the average travel per game is 408 miles, the lowest of any month. April has the fewest travel miles, but that is mainly because the Kraken play only nine games that month.

The Kraken have two sets of back-to-back games to close the month as they try to snap their 17-game losing streak in the second leg. Both back ends come against Pacific Division opponents, giving Seattle a chance to gain ground while preventing others from doing the same. In total, the Kraken play 10 Western Conference teams in December, making this a pivotal month.

Playoff Bound tier​

Colorado visits Seattle for the first of three meetings. The Avalanche have been dominant with just one regulation loss all season. The target for this game is one point.

Bubble tier​

With the standings extremely tight, 23 teams fall into this tier and only eight points separate them. Minnesota leads this group with 33 points. St. Louis, Florida, and Toronto sit at 25. Seattle has nine games against Bubble teams. They face eight Bubble tier opponents this month: Detroit, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Utah, Anaheim, Edmonton, San Jose, and two against Los Angeles. The target for these games is 11 points.

Tanker tier​

Seattle has three games against Tanker tier teams: Buffalo and Vancouver at home, and Calgary on the road. The target is four points.

Target win percentages​

With the increase in Bubble-tier teams, the target point percentages were adjusted to keep Seattle on pace for 95 points. The overall target for the month of December is 16 points.

Wrapping up​

Seattle’s next game is Thursday, Dec. 4, in a rematch with Edmonton. With five teams within two points of the Kraken, they could find themselves outside the playoff picture by puck drop. They will still hold two to four games in hand over every Western Conference team, giving them a chance to climb back quickly while flying under the radar a bit.

Seattle ended the month with a shutout loss to Edmonton, but November was a solid month overall. With four days off before their next game, you can imagine the team will focus on two areas: improving special teams, which went 0-for-6 on the power play and 0-for-2 on the penalty kill, and generating more scoring chances.

The Kraken have proved they can shut teams down, allowing just 2.63 goals per game, which ranks fifth in the NHL. If they can pair that steady defensive play with a bit more scoring, they will stay on pace for 95 points. Comment below on where you think the offensive spark will come from.

Blaiz Grubic​

Blaiz Grubic is a contributor at Sound Of Hockey. A passionate hockey fan and player for over 30 years, Blaiz grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is an alumni of Washington State University (Go Cougs!). When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about hockey, he enjoys quality time with his wife and daughter or getting out on a golf course for a quick round. Follow @blaizg on BlueSky or X.

Read more from Blaiz

The post Strive for 95 (points) – December update for the Kraken appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/02/strive-for-95-points-december-update-for-the-kraken/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Three Takeaways: Kraken slide continues as they get spanked 9-4 by McDavid and the Oilers

Here’s the good news: the Seattle Kraken scored four goals. Here’s the bad news: [gestures wildly] everything else about this godawful game.

There was a fleeting moment late in the first period when the Kraken looked like they had woken up and were going to overcome a 3-0 deficit. Eeli Tolvanen scored as a power play expired (officially, it goes as an even-strength goal, so the PP remains scoreless since… gosh, I don’t even know), and Freddy Gaudreau stripped Leon Draisaitl and scored his first as a Kraken.

FREDDY BE GOOD!

Joey robs Matt Savoie at one end after a hocus focus play creates a breakaway.

Freddy Gaudreau strips Draisaitl and scores his first as a #SeaKraken at the other end.

Seattle JUST MISSED tying it in the closing seconds of the 1st.

3-2 Oil through 20. pic.twitter.com/QUebFuGsli

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 5, 2025

But from there, it was alllllllll Edmonton. The Oilers began pouring it on and didn’t stop until they had nine goals on the board, their fans were doing the wave, and it felt like the merciful final horn would never come. Connor McDavid had a hat trick, Draisaitl had four points, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evan Bouchard each had three points, and Matt Savoie had two goals. Yuck.

Here’s how coach Lane Lambert summed it up: “Their power play scores four, we gave up a shorthanded goal when the score was 3-2, and we had an opportunity to get back into the game because we’re not aware of somebody behind us, and it ends up in a breakaway. [We made] mistakes, and I didn’t think our goaltending was great tonight. So, if you add it all up, it equals nine.”

Also, when Piper Shaw asked a seething Lambert what he says to the team after a game like this, Lambert somewhat aggressively replied, “Nothing.”

Here are Three Takeaways from an embarrassing 9-4 Kraken loss to the Oilers.

Takeaway #1: Bad night to be a Kraken goalie​

Let me preface this by saying the Kraken defense—facing an extremely dangerous Edmonton offense—was the worst it’s been all season. Rushes, backdoor passes, breakaways, you name it… Seattle allowed all of it.

With that disclaimer said, I’ve always been a proponent of switching goalies early in a game when you recognize the starter is not at his sharpest. It’s not about saying it’s the goalie’s fault; it’s about giving your team a chance to reset, get a fresh-minded goalie in there before your No. 1 guy gets too rattled, and perhaps spark something for your group, especially if the backup can come in and stop the bleeding. You can see when your guy doesn’t have it from the jump. It happens, and I’ve always believed the best thing for the goalie’s psyche in that scenario is to get him out of there while the game is still within reach.

Joey Daccord and the Kraken actually got a lucky break early in this game, when Andrew Mangiapane (and the entire arena) thought he had scored, but replay showed he had hit both posts and the puck had somehow stayed out. Soon after that, McDavid got his first of three goals with a snipe at 7:17, and Vasily Podkolzin squeezed one through the wickets just 17 seconds later.

Uh oh. 2-0 Oilers. Podkolzin leaks one through Daccord, who has not been sharp so far. pic.twitter.com/x7hTmVYwoI

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 5, 2025

That’s when I would have made the change. Yes, it’s only 2-0, but Daccord had been beaten three times in a row at that point.

Instead, Daccord stayed in until the Oilers had hung five goals on him, capped off by McDavid’s second of the game, a stinker at 6:14 of the second. Daccord allowed five goals on 14 shots for a .643 save percentage.

Of course, Philipp Grubauer didn’t fare much better, relenting four goals on 18 shots for a .778 save percentage, but by the time he came in, it felt like Seattle had no chance of getting back in.

This was a bad night for everybody. Let’s hope both goalies can recover quickly from this one, because this is the kind of game that can stick with netminders for a while.

Takeaway #2: The penalty kill… My God, the penalty kill​

What is up with this PK? I know the Edmonton Oilers have an incredible power play, but every time the Kraken took a penalty in this game, they could have just said, “Ok, take the goal, and let’s move on.”

In fact, on the first power-play goal against in the game, it took SEVEN SECONDS for the Oilers to win the face-off, work it from high to low and across to Leon Draisaitl, and he banged it home for his 16th goal of the season.

They made it look… VERY… easy.

Lots of talk about #SeaKraken special teams the last couple days…

The Edmonton power play converts in 7 seconds.

3-0 pic.twitter.com/MFCYiF9D0a

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 5, 2025

“We can’t give up four power-play goals,” Lambert said. “I don’t care if it’s McDavid, whatever, but it’s not good enough.”

What’s distressing is that special teams was a huge point of focus during Seattle’s three days of practice this week. You wouldn’t have known it watching this game. I do think it’s time for a change of formation. We’ve seen them try more complicated PK systems in the past, get lit up in this area, and then shift to a simpler box. It’s past time to try something different.

Takeaway #3: Is the early-season magic fading​

The Kraken got off to a nice start to their season, planting themselves firmly into a playoff spot and making us believe that their staunch defensive approach could carry them all the way to the postseason. That magic seems to have faded, as the Oilers have exposed their flaws in these two consecutive matchups in which Edmonton won 14-3 on aggregate. The Kraken have gone 0-3-1 in their last four, getting shut out twice in that stretch, and dropping out of the playoff bubble.

Of course, there are highs and lows in the course of any season, and this is certainly a low point of the campaign to date. But it also feels like an inflection point. The Kraken can find a way to stop the bleeding here, rack up a couple wins against good teams at home, and get things going back in the right direction.

Or they can keep playing like this, pile up a bunch of losses, and plummet down the airtight standings.

Darren Brown​

Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email [email protected].

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The post Three Takeaways: Kraken slide continues as they get spanked 9-4 by McDavid and the Oilers appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/04/kraken-lose-9-4-to-oilers-mcdavid-hat-trick/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

The Kraken continue to find ways to weave themselves into the Seattle sports landscape

Seattle sports fans always show up – whether it’s at Lumen Field, T-Mobile Park, or Climate Pledge Arena – fans here know how to support their beloved teams. This support stretches all over the Pacific Northwest, but in the last five years, professional hockey has been working to find its way into the fabric of the passionate sports market, first with the Kraken five years ago, and now with the Seattle Torrent.

As one of the relatively new professional teams to the area, the Kraken were met with a crowded sports landscape, but this didn’t stop fans from embracing them wholeheartedly in the early years. But it has not just been the fans that have helped the Kraken transition so well into the sports scene here in Seattle. The Kraken have accepted Seattle’s multi-team identity with open arms, and the other teams in the area have been welcoming to them as well.

While the Kraken were beginning to launch their 2025-26 season campaign, the Seattle Mariners were competing for a ticket to the World Series, and the University of Washington’s beloved Huskies were gearing up for another season of college football. With the Seattle sports world heading into one of its busiest times, the Kraken were still able to carve out moments to show their support for their fellow Seattle teams. In doing so, they were able to deepen their own roots into the city’s sports culture and build up their own identity as a team.

These shows of support are important for building the identity of their young franchise. By involving themselves more in the Seattle sports world they show the fans that they want to be a part of the legacy that is Seattle. This not only earns them the fans’ loyalty and support but sends a message of unity between the team and the place they get to call home.

One visible gesture of Seattle camaraderie came on Sept. 14 when the Kraken attended a Mariners home game. At this game, where they also debuted their third jerseys in public for the first time, captain Jordan Eberle threw out the first pitch. Following this outing, the Kraken were then spotted attending a UW Football game where the Huskies gifted the Kraken a purple and gold hockey jersey. Both of these moments signaled something greater than just team bonding: that the Kraken aren’t the only ones proud to be a part of this city’s sports community, but that everyone from fans to other sports teams, are glad they are here.

first public 3rd jersey spotting pic.twitter.com/ddcwvawdaK

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) September 14, 2025

Even while on the road the Kraken managed to show off their Seattle pride earlier this season. As the Mariners squared off against the Blue Jays, the Kraken were lined up to battle against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The boys from the deep showed up in Mariners jerseys as they walked down the tunnel for game day, and the gesture was clear: it’s Seattle over everyone, even for many of the Canadians on the team (though Shane Wright opted out of rooting against his beloved Blue Jays). The Kraken went on to beat the Maple Leafs 4-3 in OT, thanks to Josh Mahura’s heroics, that game which only reinforced that spirit.

we truly mean this from the bottom of our hearts:

SEATTLE
OVER
EVERYBODY #SeizeTheMoment pic.twitter.com/4YLq3R7qpd

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) October 18, 2025

The support that the Kraken have been giving out has been returned to them. Whether its players from other local teams attending games to show support like Mariners stars Julio Rodriguez and Josh Naylor or neighbors taking to social media to cheer on the Kraken, it is clear that the team has achieved in building an atmosphere where community remains a big motivator. They have positioned themselves as not just newcomers but as connectors and unifiers of the city’s fanbase. This is important for a young franchise in a city that has never had a professional hockey team, and they are continuing to define their legacy every step of the way.

Big ovation for Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor. pic.twitter.com/nRs56OfN4S

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 29, 2025

Now that the Torrent have arrived, the neighborly support has been even closer to the Kraken, who are sharing their arena and practice facility with the new PWHL team. Prior to the home opener for the Torrent, Kraken players wore their jerseys into Climate Pledge Arena, and several of the players also attended what ended up being a 3-0 loss to the Minnesota Frost on Friday.

We couldn't miss the chance to support our new roomies and sea them for the first time in The Deep @PWHL__Seattle pic.twitter.com/Dhkb3iPXhp

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) November 28, 2025

reppin our roommates with pride tonight! pic.twitter.com/uOLS8e1AkO

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) November 27, 2025

Seattle has shown strong support for women’s sports, and one can assume that this latest addition will be continue to be welcomed in the same way. But small, symbolic gestures like this from the Kraken go a long way in helping to welcome the newest team into the market.

There are challenges that lie ahead for every team, but one thing feels certain: the Kraken and their intentional approach to the community here in Seattle has created waves of support across the sports market.

The post The Kraken continue to find ways to weave themselves into the Seattle sports landscape appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/0...themselves-into-the-seattle-sports-landscape/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Down on the Farm – World Juniors Announcements, Kokko saving the day for the Firebirds

Welcome to “Down on the Farm,” your weekly Seattle Kraken prospects update. We have a packed column this week with updates on World Junior Championship rosters, a look at the performance of goalie Nikke Kokko with the Firebirds, all of the Seattle Kraken prospect news, video, and data you could want, and our weekly game preview.

If you have a Seattle Kraken prospect–related question you’d like to see featured in a future column, drop us a note below or on X or BlueSky @deepseahockey or @sound_hockey. Let’s dive in.

Loke Krantz named to the preliminary Team Sweden roster; Team Canada roster decisions loom​

Last week, we offered our predictions for which Seattle Kraken prospects could make their home countries’ WJC rosters. Since then, many nations have announced preliminary lineups, and three Seattle Kraken prospects were included—including one player who comes as a bit of a surprise.

As expected, Team Czechia announced that defenseman Jakub Fibigr has made its preliminary roster. Czechia’s roster currently sits at 26 players, one above the maximum, but it is highly unlikely Fibigr will be the final cut given his lengthy track record with the national team.

Likewise, as anticipated, Team USA announced that defenseman Blake Fiddler was on its initial roster as well. We had come around to this being a more likely outcome as the season progressed. That said, Team USA will still need to make two additional cuts from the defense group to get down to the 25-player roster. Fiddler is not a roster lock just yet.

Finally, in a surprise to me, forward Loke Krantz was named to Team Sweden’s preliminary roster. The 2025 seventh-round pick had not made Team Sweden’s U18 roster for any events in the previous two years, nor had he been involved with Team Sweden at any U20 precursor events.

Sweden is a gold-medal contender with a highly talented roster. Krantz’s inclusion caps a remarkable rise for the 18-year-old, who has also earned 12 games in the SHL this fall. Sweden’s roster stands at 26 players right now, so Krantz is not a certainty to stick, but there is now ample reason for optimism that he will see real ice time at the World Juniors—whether this year or next (when he is 19 years old).

Team Finland has not yet announced its roster, though forward Julius Miettinen and Kim Saarinen are virtual locks to be included.

Team Canada is the big one Kraken fans are likely monitoring. Reportedly, it will disclose its preliminary roster on Monday, Dec. 8. It is unlikely we will have definitive news regarding Berkly Catton’s status at that stage, however. If he is loaned by the Kraken to the WJC, that news would likely come later (and he would displace another player on Monday’s roster).

The Seattle Times reported earlier this week that the sentiment within the Kraken organization is that Catton “likely won’t” be loaned to Team Canada. For his part, Catton indicated that he would welcome the chance to play in the World Juniors, but “[w]hatever they tell me to do, I’ll be happy to do,” Catton told The Seattle Times‘ Kate Shefte.

Nikke Kokko is keeping the Firebirds in the game​

Nikke Kokko’s surface-level season statistics are not overly impressive. He has an .898 save percentage and a 3.21 goals-against average across 13 contests. These numbers represent a significant step back from his .913 save percentage and 2.26 goals-against average in his rookie AHL season last year.

Even so, from my vantage, I think Kokko is playing some of his best North American hockey to date. This season, the Firebirds’ defense is exceedingly young, lacking professional experience, and built around an offense-first profile overall.

Among all goalies with at least 10 AHL games played, Nikke Kokko has faced the second-most shots on goal per sixty minutes (31.5)—and is only a fraction behind the leader, Calgary’s Ivan Prosvetov (31.7). I suspect you could make a similar case with respect to shot-quality metrics too, though those aren’t publicly available for the AHL. My viewings lead me to believe the Firebirds goaltenders are also seeing more than their fair share of high-danger looks.

All told, Kokko is in a tough spot. Even so, he has been delivering clutch saves when the Firebirds have needed them most, en route to a personal 7-3-1 record in the early going. It’s probably not an exaggeration to say that Kokko has been the Firebirds’ most valuable player so far by stealing a few games early and allowing the Firebirds’ defense to mature.

This dynamic was most pronounced this past week when he started and won two games. He posted a shutout last Friday against the San Diego Gulls and saved 59 of 61 shots overall. This effort makes him your Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week.

As you can see in the video above, Kokko is a great athlete, moving side to side in the crease with ease while soundly leveraging his 6-foot-4 frame to fend off pucks from the butterfly position. Though other goalies in the system continue to excel as well, he remains the system’s top goalie for me.

Notes on three more Kraken prospects​

Zeb Forsfjäll | F | Skellefteå AIK (SHL)​

I’ve always liked Zeb Forsfjäll. His hard-working, strong-skating, defense-oriented approach in an undersized frame is easy to admire. The staff with Skellefteå certainly agreed, elevating Forsfjäll to the SHL club in a full-time role in 2022 when he was just 17 years old. Unfortunately, the SHL is not much of a developmental league, and Forsfjäll’s offense has never really had a chance to evolve. He has capped out as a gritty fourth-liner for the last few years and, as a result, his NHL prospects look fairly dim. This season, Forsfjäll was held off the scoresheet entirely for his first 21 games. He had zero goals and zero assists in that span. That struggle must have made it all the sweeter when he potted not one but two goals in game No. 22 on Saturday, Nov. 29.

Zeb Forsfjäll skjuter sin första fullträff för säsongen och dubblerar Skellefteås ledning pic.twitter.com/7D8975PJ9a

— SHL.se (@SHLse) November 29, 2025

Will Reynolds | D | Newfoundland Regiment (QMJHL)​

Will Reynolds was a tools-and-projection pick early in the third round of the 2025 draft. The blueliner was young for his draft, stood 6-foot-3, could skate, and showed flashes of improved offensive play-driving late in his draft year. The offensive production is up slightly this year—his 10 points through 24 games are second among defensemen on his QMJHL team—but there is not much flash. It is the pro-projectable frame, athleticism, and defensive traits that continue to drive his appeal.

There’s still a bit more inconsistency and chaos in his own zone than I’d like to see, but this is pretty standard junior hockey fare. Ideally, I’d like to see him get a chance in a more structured environment sooner rather than later. I could imagine a third-pair, penalty-kill, puck-transporting profile if everything comes together, but there is still a long road ahead.

Carson Rehkopf | F | Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)​

Carson Rehkopf has seen limited playing time of late, often skating with Coachella Valley’s “fourth line.” While the AHL does not make time-on-ice information available, I had Rehkopf for approximately eight minutes of playing time in a recent game for which I was making an “All Shifts” video. Then, in the Firebirds’ most recent game on Dec. 3, he was a healthy scratch.

From my vantage, he is searching for a difference-making edge. Usually, it’s his shot, but he hasn’t often found space to deploy it, except in limited power-play time. As an offense-first player, he has only 3 goals and 22 total shots on goal through 17 games. To get back into the lineup, Rehkopf will need to dig a bit deeper and show more compete. This is not an atypical challenge for a junior player transitioning to the pro ranks, but it is up to Rehkopf to rebound.

Kraken prospects data update​

Tyson Jugnauth had four assists and was a plus-four in three AHL games over the last week. While his usage dipped over the past month at even strength, he remains featured on the power play and in overtime scenarios. As of Thursday, Dec. 4, he was second among rookie AHL blueliners in total points (13), behind only 2024 No. 7 overall pick Carter Yakemchuk.

Barrett Hall has stepped forward as a key piece for the St. Cloud State Huskies this season. He is one of only three Huskies skaters with more than eight points, and his 16 points in 14 games match his total from 33 games as a freshman and leave him just six shy of his output across 34 games last year.

While his team ultimately fell 2-1 in a shootout, Kim Saarinen did his job in his lone Liiga start of the week, stopping 21 of 22 shots through regulation and overtime.

Kokko actually appeared in all three games for the Firebirds over the last week because he subbed in for Victor Ostman for less than a minute during the Firebirds’ Nov. 29 game against Texas.

Highlight of the Week​

Oscar Fisker Mølgaard was the only shooter of 14 to beat a goaltender in a thrilling Firebirds shootout win on Wednesday, Dec. 3.

MOLGAARD WITH THE FIRST GOAL IN THE SHOOTOUT!! pic.twitter.com/5NoYnTNRlC

— Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) December 4, 2025

Sound Of Hockey Prospect of the Week tracker​

2: Jagger Firkus, Julius Miettinen, Kim Saarinen

1: Ollie Josephson, Nikke Kokko, Jake O’Brien, Nathan Villeneuve, Semyon Vyazovoi, Zaccharya Wisdom

Previewing the week ahead​

The Deep Sea Hockey Games of the Week are matchups between Hall’s St. Cloud State Huskies and Ollie Josephson’s North Dakota Fighting Hawks on Friday, Dec. 5, at 5:00 pm PT, and Saturday, Dec. 6, at 4:00 pm PT. The games are available to stream with a subscription to NCHC.tv.

Tracking 2026 NHL Draft prospects: Viggo Björck​

Viggo Björck is the son of longtime Swedish league professional player Jesper Björck and the younger brother of 2025 Vancouver Canucks fifth-round pick Wilson Björck. The Björck brothers overlapped briefly last season for Djurgårdens IF—a fortuitous year in which the team earned elevation from Allsvenskan to the SHL. Wilson has since moved to play hockey in North America after the draft, but Viggo remained with Djurgårdens in its new league home.

The 5-foot-10, right-shot forward has met the challenge well, despite being a smaller 17-year-old in one of the finest professional leagues in the world outside the NHL. He has three goals and four assists in 23 SHL games so far. Most draft prognosticators project that he’ll come off the board in the top 10 to 15 picks come June. Björck was named to Team Sweden’s WJC roster on Friday, Dec. 5.

Recent prospect updates​

November 29, 2025: Projecting Kraken prospects to the 2026 World Junior Championship

November 21, 2025: Blake Fiddler brings intriguing tools

November 15, 2025: Firkus steps forward for Firebirds

November 7, 2025: Caden Price looks the part in pro debut

October 31, 2025: College hockey seasons under way for Kraken prospects

October 25, 2005: Mølgaard is an all-situations contributor as an AHL rookie

October 17, 2025: Tyson Jugnauth earns important role with the Firebirds

October 10, 2025: Firebirds drop the puck on the 2025-26 season

October 3, 2025: Catton makes his case for the NHL Roster

September 26, 2025: Junior seasons begin, J.R. Avon settles in

Curtis Isacke

Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.

Read more from Curtis

The post Down on the Farm – World Juniors Announcements, Kokko saving the day for the Firebirds appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/0...ments-kokko-saving-the-day-for-the-firebirds/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Kraken Notebook: Oleksiak scratched, Mahura in, Gaudreau recalls first NHL fight

When an NHL team gets scored on nine times in a game, one anticipates some changes to the lineup the next time out. Indeed, coach Lane Lambert seems to be sending a message to his veterans that their spots are not safe if they don’t do their jobs in the way he expects.

It appears defenseman Jamie Oleksiak will be a healthy scratch Saturday when the Kraken welcome the Detroit Red Wings to Climate Pledge Arena, marking the first time the 32-year-old, 6-foot-7 blueliner will be scratched since coming to Seattle at the Expansion Draft in 2021.

When I asked Lambert about the decision, he played coy, saying, “Well, it’s a game-time decision, so really there’s no reason talking about it right now.”

It was plain to see at morning skate, though, that Oleksiak is not in the lineup and that he will be replaced by Josh Mahura, who will skate alongside Ryker Evans on the third pair. Mahura has been a healthy scratch since Evans returned from injury on Nov. 8.

For this Kraken Notebook, I chatted with Mahura about his expectations for getting back into the lineup, and I also talked to Freddy Gaudreau about an interesting week of firsts for him.

Josh Mahura excited to get back in​

Mahura is known to be a great locker-room guy and a fantastic teammate, so it’s unlikely anyone has heard him complain about sitting out 12 straight games that have spanned an entire month since he last played. But deep down, any professional athlete wants to compete, so you know he’s champing at the bit to get back in Saturday against the Red Wings.

“I feel great,” Mahura said. “Honestly, just [going to try to] get right back into it. I’ve been putting in a lot of work, regardless of if I’m playing or not, so I’m just excited to get back out there.”

His return comes at an awkward time for the Kraken, who have lost four straight games (0-3-1) and just gave up more goals to Edmonton on Thursday than they ever have in a single game in franchise history. Seattle took a day off to refresh and reset Friday, though, and Jordan Eberle said the team’s recent struggles should spark “desperation” against Detroit.

As for Mahura, slotting him in at this time also injects positivity into a lineup that’s surely a bit broken right now.

“[We’ve got to] just completely move on from it,” Mahura said. “It’s a new game today, new opportunity. We play 82 games in a year, so sometimes you’re going to go through those spells, dry spots or losing games. But, you know? Like I said, you have 82 chances to get back at it, so there’s just excitement tonight to get going.”

Though Lambert wouldn’t commit to the scratch for Oleksiak, it certainly looks like it’s happening, and that’s a big statement from the coach to pull one of his veteran defenders. Officially, Oleksiak was minus-three in the 9-4 loss and was on for one of the four power-play goals against (the other three were Adam Larsson and Ryan Lindgren).

Meanwhile, Mason Marchment will return from a mysterious one-game absence that was supposedly due to injury (though Lambert declined to put a designation on the type of injury it was), and Shane Wright will slide back down to the fourth line.

It’s looking like Jamie Oleksiak will be a healthy scratch tonight. #SeaKraken https://t.co/Jji4tR5GaA

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 6, 2025

A week of firsts (and fists) for Freddy Gaudreau​

The two consecutive losses to the Oilers brought a couple of interesting plot points in Gaudreau’s first season in Seattle, with the most recent being his first goal as a Kraken on Thursday. The goal briefly got the team back into the game before things completely unraveled in the second period.

FREDDY BE GOOD!

Joey robs Matt Savoie at one end after a hocus focus play creates a breakaway.

Freddy Gaudreau strips Draisaitl and scores his first as a #SeaKraken at the other end.

Seattle JUST MISSED tying it in the closing seconds of the 1st.

3-2 Oil through 20. pic.twitter.com/QUebFuGsli

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 5, 2025

While Gaudreau has mostly played a depth role in his career, he has shown the ability to put the puck in the net, potting 18 in 2024-25 with the Minnesota Wild and 19 in 2022-23. So, going goalless through the early part of December had been surprising.


“It’s weird. I’ve always believed in doing the right things and keeping your head where it’s at in the moment, and not overthinking all those things,” Gaudreau said. “And somehow, when I’ve been doing so versus overthinking, it seems like it comes back more naturally, so that’s kind of been my mindset.

“Obviously, we’d love to score all the time and help the team win offensively all the time, but it’s just not reality. So when it’s not going your way, there’s still a lot of things you can do, whether it’s in games or practices, to keep the energy rolling. And like I said, results just come when they have to come, but you can’t lose the focus of the rest of the important stuff when they’re not there.”

So, that all-important first goal in Deep Sea Blue has come. But what else happened for Gaudreau over the last week? After the Kraken had gone down 4-0 in a game filled with shenanigans and Marchment-related extracurricular activity last Saturday, Gaudreau fought Edmonton rookie Connor Clattenburg.

Believe it or not, while it was Clattenburg’s first NHL fight, it was also the first fight of Gaudreau’s nine-year NHL career.

Freddy Gaudreau drops the gloves with Connor Clattenburg and… does not fare particularly well.

But, he gets the #SeaKraken their sixth power play of the game. pic.twitter.com/sMyoQnmWIS

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 29, 2025

“It just happened. I don’t know what to say, it just happens. That’s kind of my take on it,” Gaudreau said. “And boom, then you get a text from your parents, like, ‘Are you… What’s going on?’”

Gaudreau shared that his parents watch every game from afar despite a challenging time difference. On this particular night, though, they were attending a special event for Gaudreau’s mom’s twin brothers. That event caused them to miss the game, so all they saw was a five-minute fighting penalty in the box score.

“I got the same from my brothers, and my sister didn’t know. And my wife, when I got out of here, she’s… kind of the same thing, ‘What’s going on? You want to talk about it?’ [She was] kind of laughing about it.”

While Gaudreau maintained that “it just happened,” he did divulge that he saw Ryker Evans get hit from behind and went in to stand up for his teammate. In a flash, he recognized that Clattenburg’s stick was down on the ice, and without even thinking, his own gloves were suddenly off and fists were flying.

“It’s just instincts after that. It’s not like I know much about it, to be honest, it was just instincts, and I was on the ground pretty quickly, and then in the box after that pretty quickly.”

So now that he has that first bout under his belt, is Freddy looking to become a regular pugilist?

“I can’t predict the future, but it’s not a point of emphasis,” Gaudreau said. “But if it happens, it happens.”

Darren Brown​

Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email [email protected].

Read more from Darren

The post Kraken Notebook: Oleksiak scratched, Mahura in, Gaudreau recalls first NHL fight appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/0...d-mahura-in-gaudreau-recalls-first-nhl-fight/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Three Takeaways – Kraken drop fifth straight in painful 4-3 loss to Red Wings

After getting pounded into oblivion in Edmonton on Thursday, the Kraken played a far more respectable contest on Saturday but still came away with zero standings points, losing 4-3 at home to the Detroit Red Wings in painful fashion.

Seattle led 3-2 with a minute left in the second period, but a miscue in the offensive zone between Ryker Evans and Matty Beniers (Evans made a bad pinch, and Beniers didn’t immediately drop back to cover for him) led to a 2-on-1. James van Riemsdyk scored and sent the game to the third period tied 3-3, a goal you just knew would end up haunting the Kraken.

3-3. Tough goal to give up as a team with 27 seconds left in the 2nd.

Beniers and Evans got crossed up in the offensive zone. Evans pinched, and Beniers didn't cover it, and that sprung JvR on a 2-on-1. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/dbfPrtYdcD

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 7, 2025

Patrick Kane sent the MANY Red Wings fans in attendance home happy with a vintage Kane game-winning goal at 17:31 of the third period, another crushing blow to the psyche of the Kraken, who have now lost five straight (0-4-1).

“I thought it was a good game. I thought our guys competed,” Kraken coach Lane Lambert said. “We played hard, and it was a game, I guess you could say, that could have went either way. We had plenty of chances, we threw plenty of pucks at the net. We’ve been doing that a lot better lately. I was real happy with our compete level tonight.”

Here are Three Takeaways from a 4-3 Kraken loss to the Red Wings.

Takeaway #1: Patrick Kane game-winner​

There’s something about a late Patrick Kane game-winner that makes long-time hockey fans shudder. While Kane has remained a productive player even as he’s gotten into his later playing years, he’s no longer the “Showtime” version of Kane that once struck absolute fear into every opponent.

But then—as he has done so many times in his career—he shows that critical little flash at exactly the right moment and drives a stake into your heart, reminding you that he still has some of that Showtime razzle dazzle that has made him one of the best American-born players of all time.

Off a rush in which the Kraken had numbers back (but one of the two defenders was Jared McCann skating backward because Vince Dunn had jumped up in the offensive zone), Kane slowed down slightly to create a gap between himself and Adam Larsson. Alex DeBrincat made easy work of McCann and put it onto Kane’s stick at the top of the slot. Kane floated a wrist shot under Larsson’s stick and over Joey Daccord’s glove for his 83rd career game-winning goal, tied for third-most among U.S.-born players.

Painful loss for the #SeaKraken. Patrick Kane wins it with 2:27 left.

4-3 final. pic.twitter.com/9bs5784Pyx

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 7, 2025

“I coughed it up in the [defensive] zone right before that,” Kane said with a laugh. “But we did a good job defensively, and ‘Cat’ got the puck and skated it up the ice, kind of drew a couple guys to him. [Andrew Copp was] driving the net. That’s a huge part of the play… I tried to find a pocket, got the puck, and at that point you’re just trying to shoot it through the defenseman and get it on net.”

4-3. 2:29 left. Stake in the hearts of Kraken fans. Showtime. Puke.

Takeaway #2: Again, the PK​

I’m getting sick of talking about the PK (and special teams in general), but it was a factor again in this game and has now given up a goal on seven of the team’s last eight tries. It’s ranked 32nd in the NHL at an abysmal 64.8 percent, five percentage points behind the 31st-ranked Ottawa Senators.

In this game, the Kraken took only one penalty, at 5:20 of the first period, when Berkly Catton reached one too many times with his stick on Elmer Soderblom. After getting away with the first couple attempts, the referee finally put his arm up when Catton went back to the well.

During the ensuing power play, Moritz Seider loudly clanked a shot off the post about five seconds into the advantage, an ominous bell for what was to come. Detroit had several other chances to score, including a bizarre rush where three Red Wings got behind the Kraken defenders, forcing Daccord to slide across and make a big save on Lucas Raymond.

“There’s a variation of things contributing to it,” Lambert said of the team’s PK struggles. “It starts face-off-wise, we’re not winning enough face-offs, so we pretty much start every penalty kill on our heels, as opposed to getting the pucks down [into the other end]. It starts there, but we certainly haven’t done a very good job, and we know this. And something’s got to be done about it, and there’s only one way to go.”

Ironically, Seattle almost survived this PK and, on paper, actually won the face-off 24 seconds before Emmitt Finnie one-timed Nate Danielson’s pass into an open net. Off the draw, Freddy Gaudreau pulled the puck back, but Josh Mahura was a hair too late getting to it. Detroit regained possession and reset.

But between that moment and when the goal was scored, the Kraken had time to settle into their formation and still got pulled apart and scored on in an easy-looking manner. That’s why I think the formation stinks.

I wrote about it briefly in the last Three Takeaways as well, but I’ve never liked the “wedge plus one” PK. It’s supposed to be an aggressive way to kill penalties, but it’s too complicated. Players have to time rotations perfectly, and if the opposing defenseman can pull the “plus one” far enough out and still make a pass, then everything stretches, and seams become wide open.

Let’s look at this goal more carefully. Four seconds before the goal, Seattle is in formation. Ryker Evans, Mahura, and Eeli Tolvanen form the three-man wedge, while Gaudreau is the “plus one,” tasked with chasing the defenseman and disrupting passes high in the zone. Eventually, Gaudreau and Tolvanen will rotate depending on where the puck goes and how far Gaudreau is pulled, but that doesn’t need to happen here.

All Axel Sandin-Pellikka (No. 44) has to do is walk the blue line a few steps and draw Gaudreau toward him. The moment he does that, Detroit effectively turns the advantage into a 4-on-3, an even more dangerous situation than a 5-on-4. Here, Sandin-Pellikka has just moved from one side of the digital WaFd Bank ad to the other, but look how much more ice opens up between Gaudreau and Tolvanen.

Sandin-Pellikka gets the puck to Danielson on the left side, and Danielson now has the option to shoot or thread a pass through a wide-open seam.

He chooses the wide-open seam, and Finnie rips it home.

Here’s the full sequence from face-off to goal.

Looks pretty easy, doesn’t it?

This, my friends, is why I’m not a fan of the wedge plus one. Opponents have clearly figured out how to exploit Seattle’s version of it. It’s time to change things up.

Takeaway #3: Joey is struggling right now​

I’m running long here, but briefly: Daccord has not had his best stuff of late. He was incredible in that 1-0 shootout loss to the New York Islanders that started this five-game losing streak on Nov. 23, but since then, his save percentages have been .857, .840, .643, and .840.

Against Detroit, he made some great saves, including a 10-beller against DeBrincat in the second, but I also thought he was fighting the puck early on. When he’s making saves, it doesn’t seem to be hitting him exactly where he expects it to, and even on that power-play goal above, he’s a hair slow in reacting to the pass from Danielson, even though Danielson never shows that he’s going to shoot.

While he was ok in this game, we haven’t recently seen the dominant version of Daccord that helped get Seattle into a playoff spot over the season’s first two months.

I didn’t ask Lambert his reasoning for going back to Daccord after he was pulled in Edmonton, but my assumption is that he wanted to give him a chance to bounce back. Now, I’m convinced Daccord really needs a night or two off.

Darren Brown​

Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email [email protected].

Read more from Darren

The post Three Takeaways – Kraken drop fifth straight in painful 4-3 loss to Red Wings appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/07/kraken-lose-again-to-red-wings-patrick-kane-game-winner/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Monday Musings: Is this the bottom for the Seattle Kraken?

Going into Saturday night’s game against the Detroit Red Wings, the Seattle Kraken were riding a four-game losing streak, capped by an embarrassing 9–4 drubbing by the Edmonton Oilers just two nights earlier. The team had been sliding down the Pacific Division standings, and it felt like one of those “must-win” games to stop the bleeding, at least temporarily. As you probably know by now, the Kraken came up short again, dropping another one in regulation despite a mostly solid effort.

They now sit sixth in the Pacific after being as high as second just two weeks ago. It feels like the team is in a full-on death spiral and drifting toward irrelevance again. But is it really that dire? No, not quite. If you’re in “must-win” territory in December, the problems run deeper than standings position.

When you sort the division by point percentage, the Kraken are actually fourth, and they’ve played the fewest games in the league. Is there reason for concern? Absolutely. But if you’d offered this position in the standings before the season started, most fans probably would’ve signed up for it on the spot.

The real anchor this week was that Oilers game, giving up nine goals, including four on the power play. That set a franchise record for most goals allowed in a single outing, and if not for a last-second Jani Nyman tally, it would’ve matched their worst-ever goal differential too. If you could magically erase that one from memory, the narrative around this losing streak would look a little different.

A sign of some offense?​

For as rough as the week felt, the Kraken did show some signs of life offensively. Seven goals in two games isn’t exactly fireworks, but compare that to the two goals they mustered over the previous three games. Their 74 and 77 shot attempts against the Oilers and Red Wings, respectively, are actually their top two totals of the season.

Vince Dunn summed things up well when he talked to Piper Shaw after the 4–3 loss to Detroit: “I think we’re finally fixing the things that we weren’t doing so well, and then now we’re maybe slipping a little bit with the things that we were doing so well. So it’s about balance right now and battling through the adversity that we’re going through.”

Now, it’s only a two-game sample, so we can’t exactly call it a trend. But in a week where silver linings were scarce, the uptick in shot volume does stand out. If they can pair that with the defensive structure we saw early in the season, maybe they can pull themselves out of this skid.

Face-off possession challenges​

Face-offs continue to be an issue for the Kraken, and more specifically, what happens after the actual draw. The league doesn’t publicly track post-face-off possession, so I usually use shot attempts within 10 seconds of a face-off as a proxy. By that measure, Seattle ranks 28th in the NHL with 6.7 face-off shot attempts per game, and they sit 26th in allowing face-off attempts against. Not ideal.

I am not sure if anyone caught it but several times in the Detroit game Kraken head coach Lane Lambert sent out Freddy Gaudreau and Chandler Stephenson together for a face-off to increase their chances of possession and to have a true center available in case the first one got booted out of the circle.

Other musings​

• Seattle scored two rebound goals in that same game, giving them 10 on the season, which is tied for eighth in the league. That’s one of the perks of actually getting pucks to the net.
• The Kraken are the only team in the Pacific Division that hasn’t scored six or more goals in a game this season, something they did 20 times last year.
• With Freddy Gaudreau scoring on Thursday, Berkly Catton is now the lone forward on the roster without a goal. The good news: he’s generated more shot attempts in his last five games than in any other five-game stretch this season. The bad news, though, is that the team announced he will miss a week with an upper-body injury. We believe the injury came on his third-period shot block against the Red Wings.
• Catton will not be loaned to Team Canada for the World Junior Championship this month. The Jaden Schwartz injury seems to have shifted the calculus there, and plus, Catton is now injured.
• Speaking of Schwartz… I’ll probably keep saying this for the next month, but the Kraken really miss him, especially on the power play.
• It’s been a hot topic on this site and the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, but the penalty kill has been rough lately. Here’s a look at the numbers over the last 10 games.

• There’s been a lot of chatter about Shane Wright’s ice time. What I do know is that it’s not as simple as “just play him more.” My hunch is that Lambert doesn’t fully trust Wright in face-off situations, and with the Kraken killing penalties more often lately, that matters. That’s speculation, sure—but it’s rooted in the data.
• On the topic of uneducated ranting, I’m a little surprised Philipp Grubauer hasn’t gotten a start recently (he will start Monday against Minnesota). Joey Daccord has had more than a couple games where he hasn’t looked particularly sharp, and it probably wouldn’t hurt to give him a breather. Grubauer has looked good enough to at least get a turn in the net.
• I really love Adam Larsson goals.

29 6

and with the assist on Adam Larsson’s goal, Vince Dunn has officially tallied his 300th @NHL point! Congrats, Dunner pic.twitter.com/vA6REEB6Ko

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) December 7, 2025

• The Kraken haven’t scored the first goal in five straight games—and they’ve lost all five.
• After a slow start to the season, the Coachella Valley Firebirds have turned things around, going 7-2-1 over their last 10. As is usually the case in the AHL, the scoring is coming from a mix of vets and young prospects. Jagger Firkus has 11 goals in 21 games, and Ben Meyers has nine in just 11.
• Congrats to 2025 first-round pick Jake O’Brien on being invited to Canada’s World Junior camp. O’Brien leads the OHL with 45 points this season.

Goal of the week​

Seattle’s 2022 sixth-round pick, Barrett Hall, scored a slick shorthanded goal against North Dakota over the weekend. He’s now up to seven goals halfway through the season, already matching his total from 2024–25.

What a play by @BarrettHall11! #SCTop10 | #HuskyHockey pic.twitter.com/9ehwPNjcKW

— St. Cloud State Men’s Hockey (@SCSUHuskies_MH) December 6, 2025

Player performances​

Ben Meyers (CVF/SEA) – Meyers had four points in three games this week and has picked up at least one point in every game he’s played for Coachella Valley this season.

Semyon Vyazovoi (SYU/SEA) – The Kraken’s sixth-round pick from 2021 posted a .913 save percentage over three games for Salavat Yulaev in the KHL last week. He has the eighth-best save percentage in the league right now and is expected to come to North America next season.

Jesse Heslop (EVT) – The Everett winger put up four points in three games this past week and is riding a seven-game point streak.

The week ahead​

After back-to-back two-game weeks, things are about to get a lot busier with four games this week and nine in a 16-day stretch. By the time we hit the Christmas break, we should have a much clearer sense of what this team actually is.

Seattle faces Minnesota (Monday at home), Los Angeles (Wednesday at home), Utah (Friday in Utah), and Buffalo (Sunday at home). I’m not taking anyone lightly these days, so “easy outs” don’t exist. The Kraken have been better at home this season, though, so with three home dates, you’d hope they can snap the losing streak sooner rather than later—preferably before Sunday rolls around.

Minnesota is 7-2-1 in its last 10, but those two losses came in their most recent games against Calgary and Vancouver, so maybe they’re not quite the buzzsaw they looked like a week ago. Still, nothing is guaranteed.

Regardless of what happens Monday, getting a regulation win over LA on Wednesday would be huge. The Kings enter the week five points ahead of Seattle but have played two more games. The two teams are also among the lowest-scoring clubs in the league. I’m told someone has to score to win, so something needs to give… or maybe not.

Utah sits ahead of Seattle as well, holding the last wild card spot with 31 points—three more than the Kraken—but they’ve also played four extra games, so that cushion is a bit inflated. What could go wrong in Utah?

As for Buffalo… I genuinely don’t want to imagine losing that one, but we’ve all lived through a “no way they lose this” meltdown before, so let’s just not tempt fate. The Sabres are one of the worst teams in the league, but they’ve actually won five of their last 10, which—sadly—is one point better than Seattle over that stretch.

At this point, I’d be content with four out of eight points this week. That won’t move them in the standings, but it at least keeps them in the fight. I’ll be popping champagne if they find a way to grab six. And no matter what the results are, I really hope they can figure out the penalty kill. One kill in your last eight is, without exaggeration, a disaster.

What say you? Any predictions for the week?

The post Monday Musings: Is this the bottom for the Seattle Kraken? appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/08/monday-musings-is-this-the-bottom-for-the-seattle-kraken/

 

[Seattle Kraken]

Photo Gallery – Kraken vs Wild – Dec 8th

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The post Photo Gallery – Kraken vs Wild – Dec 8th appeared first on Sound Of Hockey.

Source: https://soundofhockey.com/2025/12/08/photo-gallery-kraken-vs-wild-dec-8th/